AntiShadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470
by KingofZeroX
Summary: What if, on the night of Death's sealing, something went wrong? What if that something led to Minato becoming less than human and Aigis becoming more human? How will the Wild Card fare in a world where he doesn't just summon Persona, but becomes them instead? Either way, Minato's destiny has been changed forever, perhaps for the better. AU. MinatoxHarem
1. Chapter 1: Metal Soul, Metal Body

**Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470**

**Chapter 1: Metal Soul, Metal Body.**

* * *

"Mom? ...Dad?" A little blue haired child had just crawled from the remains of his parents' car. He winced in pain, he had minor scratches, but he wasn't harmed more than that. Why did it turn out like this? They were just heading back home from the movies that night. The boy had insisted on going at the one across the bridge to see the movie at the "special' movie theatre because the screens were bigger. The other one was small and cramped in comparison. Overall, the movie theatre they were going to was more comfortable. They had all been having a good time, laughing and smiling when all of a sudden…

"A-are you there? Mommy? Daddy?" The boy searched. He looked down, left, right and up. He looked in every direction he could think to he noticed something strange. Everything was green. The water on either side of the bridge was red, like blood. This wasn't natural. This was not how the world was supposed to be. The boy knew that much for certain. It was like the scary movie the boy had insisted on seeing. He shuddered. It was very scary, that movie. But why was everything green? The boy started panicking. If things started turning out like the movie, then his mom and dad were…

"Mommy?! Daddy?!" The boy was frightened. He looked back towards the car, his body shaking in fear. He did not like that movie! He was scared! He only went because all his friends at school were talking about it and he didn't want be left out. That wasn't a bad thing, right?! To want to be able to finally talk to people about the same subject and grow closer, develop stronger bonds, wasn't a bad thing, right?! Then what did he do to deserve this? Why was he always left alone? He promised he would be a good boy forever if he found his parents… his parents… they were alright! They were always alright! They were the shining beacons of hope and the pillars of support in his life. Nothing like this could harm them! Then his eyes found an scene that would be carved into his memory for the rest of his life.

"Mommy. Daddy. You're all messed up, but you're all right, just like always? Like when Daddy would play dead when Mommy would tell him to take out the trash? It's like that, right?" The boy said in a quivering voice, tears pooling at the corners of his voice as he stumbled forward with a strained smile on his face. He had found his parents. Their corpses were crushed against the car. They had crashed into the side of the bridge while simultaneously being hit by another car. Blood covered the car. Blood covered the seats. Blood covered his parents. Dead. His mom's beautiful face was now marred. His dad's strong body crushed. They were dead… Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?! Why?! Why! Why! Why! Why him…?

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The boy's loud cry shook the green night sky as all his sadness drained away, taking with it all his emotion and expression. His face turned from an expression of horror, pain, and sadness to that stoic observation. He stood up and stared at the bodies of his parents emotionlessly. Their deaths were now the past. He would not hurt anymore. Without feeling, their bodies couldn't hurt him anymore. The boy felt broken inside. Not like a person. Like a machine that was damaged. A cold, unfeeling machine. His emotions died that night, that instant he saw his parents were dead. His want for bonds killed his parents. He didn't need them. He didn't need friends, family or anything close to him. It would hurt again if he got too close.

_Thou art I… and I am thou…_

Suddenly, he felt… older. Like he'd seen something he wasn't supposed to see yet. Death. It wouldn't affect him anymore. He wouldn't let it. Death was inevitable. It took away his parents. It would one day claim him. He felt slightly amused. He was still connected to Mommy and Daddy through the end that comes with the passing of time. He knew a child shouldn't be thinking these grave thoughts, but he felt he wasn't a child anymore. After stripping himself of his emotions, he was barely human. His parents were all he had left except some vague second cousins out in the country. His sister was claimed by death as well. At least that was what he'd been told. Everyone around him died, as if death was walking hand in hand with him. He didn't like this. At this time, the boy finally remembered the name of the movie he saw. He stared up at the sky, his emotionless gaze piercing through the heavens, cursing whatever entity caused this world to turn a horrid green, the last bit of emotion leaving him before the machine took over again.

_From the sea of thy soul I cometh…_

"Journey into Tartarus", the boy whispered the name of the movie, idly pondering what the title meant. It had been about action, romance, and horror. Doubt and sacrifice were the themes. It had no happy ending. The main character had cursed the beings, the _gods_, that had forsaken him, save the one being that helped him, and they tore him apart because he wished to stay true to his commitments. The boy felt a bit of kinship with the hero. They were similar. The boy felt as if a happy ending was impossible.

_I am…_

Then a monster appeared.

_Orpheus… Master of Strings…_

* * *

Death was incomplete. Death was incomplete, yet this being still managed to harm it, although it was naught but a scratch. Death had been fighting the beings sent to annihilate it, an impossible feat, and one was still alive, another impossible feat. Alive. This being, no, this _girl, _was alive. From this girl, Death could sense the spark of life necessary for her to use her power. And use her power she did, summoning a large mechanical paladin, much like the robotic girl herself, to rush towards Death. Death deftly moved out of the way of the girl's attack before she rained machine gun fire down upon it. The bullets passed through Death. The steel maiden stood before Death, eyes emotionless, yet somehow defiant. The girl, however obscure or small it was, had a reason to fight Death. She had more power than all the humans in the city combined. She was the last obstacle Death had to face. Just one step away from the coming of NYX.

She summoned her being. It charged forward, tackling Death into the side of a building. Death pulled itself out as the being faded away. It charged and swiped at her with its sword, the only weapon it had besides magic. The girl raised her arm to block the blow. A loud boom shook the air as metal met metal. The girl raised her other arm and fired at Death's face, injuring it in its only place vulnerable to bullets. Death reeled back, screeching loudly as it grasped its face. The screech itself harmed the girl, knocking her back several feet. Death brought forth a light into its hand before firing it, a Megidola. The girl sidestepped it, the blast itself continuing onward before splitting into several smaller lights that all locked on to the girl. She raced towards Death and leapt over it, deflecting its sword strike as she did so, intent on using it as a shield for its own Megidola. Quite a few hit Death, but one managed to circle around and hit the female. She was heavily damaged just by that one hit. She may have underestimated her opponent. Jumping back to gain distance between herself and Death, the girl summoned her metal protector again, who rushed Death and managed to grab it again before slamming it into a ground several meters away. The girl sprinted towards Death.

Death raised its sword and slashed at the girl horizontally. She glowed with energy as her guardian appeared once more before jumping over the swing and firing again at Death's visage. Death continued its sword swing and managed to raise it to block the bullets. The girl moved at impossible speeds and appeared behind Death, her left arm now in the shape of a large tube. She fired a missile at Death who was knocked back. She pursued.

They were on a bridge now. As the metal girl prepared to attack and Death started to charge its Megidola, a single cry shook the night air.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Death used this opportunity to fire another Megidola at the girl, who was momentarily distracted by the cry. It hit her full on and blasted her into a car on the bridge. Sparks were shooting out of her arms and legs as she emerged.

"Defeat of enemy not possible. Emergency measures required. Orgia Mode: Activate." The girl spoke in monotone. Her speed increased exponentially and she ran towards Death summoning her protector who then came at Death with far more power than normal, but it was not enough. The girl saw this and a hint of what appeared to be regret worked its way into her expression. She then dashed towards the sound of the voice from earlier, intent on arriving before she overheated. Death followed suit, intent on defeating her and then being reunited with its other pieces before summoning NYX.

A boy stood alone, his lips moving and producing nothing more than a whisper. The corpses of two older humans were behind him, dead and wrapped in wreckage. The boy stared at the sky, seemingly even more emotionless than the girl that dared to battle Death itself. Death reached the boy first. The boy just looked at the face of Death apathetically. He looked cold, lifeless. He looked Lost. But he was not, for he was still breathing, still Found.

The girl's right arm opened up, revealing a strange looking gun. She had arrived second. Death turned to face her. The boy looked on, a glazed look in his eyes. The mechanical maiden prepped her containment device. It was the only one of its kind. A device meant to seal Death by bonding it to the only thing powerful enough to contain it for long periods of time. Life. The Kirijo Group had developed it in case of an incident with the Shadow they were experimenting on went amok. They knew it would most likely not be enough, but it was worth a try. Death was but a fraction of the original Shadow now and thus could be sealed in its weakened state. This was a onetime shot and would potentially ruin the life of the person bonded to the Shadow or even kill them. It was a last resort. The girl, Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: Aigis, fired a white beam at the two, the beaming anchoring to Death as it shot toward the boy.

Death did not want to be bonded to the boy who stared at Death so. Those lifeless eyes. It was the first time Death ever wanted something other than to fulfill its purpose and summon NYX. It frightened and excited Death. It could almost feel NYX, its mother, encouraging it to do something. It shifted the beam attached to its chest by twisting its entire body to face the girl who fought it. If Death were to be bound to anybody, it would be a strong vessel that would serve NYX well. Death grasped the beam and put all its otherworldly powers into shifting the final destination of the beam. The beam shot forward at the girl. Death had triumphed, just like always. The beam attached to the small spark of life in Aigis, but it was not enough. Death, ever determined to triumph, then decided to take desperate measures. Death began to suck the life out of the boy and replace it with the void in the girl's small soul. On the reverse, it placed more life in the girl, a task only possible by Death. The girl began to look more human as machine turned to flesh and her size shrunk to match that of the boy's. She only looked mildly surprised, but took it with a determined expression, the first true expression Death had seen on her. She would shoulder the burden, for it was the best outcome.

Then she noticed the boy. His hair was being drained of its color, turning pure white. His eyes lost their pigmentation, turning a solid red, indicating his eyes no longer had blood moving to them. They were no longer flesh, but metal. A small gasp escaped the boy as his skin began to turn to metal at the same rate the girl's metal turned to skin. His body forcibly matured, his height lengthening to match and surpass what the girl's once was. He grasped his head in pain as his mouth opened in a silent scream. Steel slowly covered his quickly disappearing flesh.

THUMP

His arms turned to steel.

THUMP

His legs became steel.

THUMP

His torso was steel.

THUMP

His head appeared untouched, but it was now the face of a teenage boy. Metal was beneath the skin, a silent reminder of the fact that he was no longer human.

White gloves covered metal hands. They met white sleeves and covered the metal joints. The boy had lost his toes, they were now unnecessary. His legs were practically covered in long, white boots and were now cylindrical at the top, becoming angled at the bottom and jutting out, imitating a foot. White pants met boots and covered the metal joints. His torso was now a dark green color and had the appearance of the torso of a fit man with a lean build, a man the boy no doubt would have become, and was metal as well. He wore a long, red scarf around his neck that obscured his mouth. On his back was a small golden lyre. The now metallic boy turned towards Aigis and Death, a hollow look in his eyes before he collapsed, a loud clank indicating he was now fully machine.

Aigis now had the appearance of a little blond girl in a white dress with a large red ribbon around her neck and a black hairband restraining her hair. Her blue eyes closed as she collapsed as the last of Death was sucked into her. In her last moment of consciousness, Aigis felt a singular, true, unrestrained emotion.

Worry.

Then the world turned to darkness.

* * *

The Kirijo Group arrived on the scene shocked. Aigis was now human and a new Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon had appeared, though Death was nowhere to be found. Everyone there was sworn to secrecy, of course. Aigis had no memories and was a blank slate, but she learned the basics a child her age should know at a remarkable rate, as if she were still machine. The new Aigis was to be sent to foster homes around the country and would return to the place in 10 years time to check the long term effects. She could very well revert at any time. When dealing with Shadows, the effects were unpredictable. That was something the Kirijo Group knew for certain.

The new A.S.W., short for Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, was to be placed in a lab and analyzed. He was codenamed M1N470 due to the engraving on the left side of his chest, right where his heart should have been. Takeharu Kirijo had wanted special treatment for the machine. This machine was the only clue they had as to how Aigis gained life and it was the last ASW they had available. The others were either incomplete, destroyed, or sealed away for various reasons. The golden lyre on his back was extraordinary, though. The scientists discovered that it could imitate any weapon it touched in terms of strength, shape, function, and any other special effects the original weapon had. The only difference there would be was the golden color. Curiously, it seemed to remain despite all the changes the instrument went through. The scientists were baffled. Not to mention the fact that they could not activate the ASW for any diagnostics requiring him to be powered on. They knew not was his power source was. He had no openings for gas or electrical plugs to be inserted. He was like a statue.

* * *

"I am** Philemon**, a dweller in the rift between consciousness and unconsciousness of all souls... I have been watching over you as I have watched all the others, Minato Arisato. Things, regrettably, did not turn out how they were supposed to, but perhaps that is for the better." A man with a butterfly mask was the vision that greeted Minato's eyed as he opened them. His brown ponytail was the only thing that convinced Minato a human face was under the mask. Everything around the two was white. Minato, remembering what just happened, looked at his body. It was now cold, hard, and unfeeling. It was the personification of his emotions he felt at the time of his parents' death. His parents…

"You see that you cannot kill off your emotions so easily. Just as you cannot stop yourself from creating bonds. For most, it is human nature. For you, it is your destiny. Or was. I'm not supposed to directly interfere with humans, but, you see, it wasn't you humans that messed up. Something... else selfishly intervened in your destiny. The result is what you see now. Your **Persona** saved you from **Death** by materializing itself as your new body. It was nothing short of a miracle that you survived. Yes, you have lost your old body, but your life's essence still exists. You are a **Wild Card**, and that is part of your life's essence. A Wild Card can wield multiple Personae and strengthens them through bonds, or **Social Links**, with others. Oh, I bet you're wondering what a Persona is, right?" There was a smile in the Philemon's voice. Minato nodded. He had no clue what happened. He figured it would be best to find out what happened as soon as possible.

"A Persona is the mask you use to endure the many hardships of life. That would be the easiest explanation. But a few possess more potential for the power of Persona than others. These few are Wild Cards. Imagine yourself as the number zero, empty but filled with infinite possibilities. You possess the most potential out of any Persona user so far. This potential allows you to summon Personae of many more kinds than any other. However, your destiny has been shifted and your body and soul are not in sync now. This may cause problems, yet it may prove advantageous to you. Only time will tell. You are wondering why I am telling you this, correct? Well, let's just say that I believe humans such as you need guidance. I am that guide. This problem, one not caused by men, is something I can help solve. Now take this." Philemon tossed a pen to Minato. He caught it. The pen glowed a warm blue. Just touching it filled him with a strange sort of... warmth. It felt so... alien, but Minato welcomed it. Minato forcibly tore his attention away from the pen and looked back towards Philemon, who was now holding a contract.

"Now, sign here. It merely says that you'll accept responsibility for _your_ actions. It was not your actions that caused your parents' death, nor your transformation. However, you will be forced to make choices in the future. Hard choices. Perhaps even harder due to your new destiny. You will accept responsibility for them anyway, correct?" Minato nodded. He then took three steps forward and begun to sign his name. Minato Arisato. He had forgotten about his surname until now, but it was what proved he still had bonds with his family. He had to keep it.

"Good. Now, here's a key to the room of a few friends of mine. Tell them Philemon sent you. They'll be sure to give you the VIP Treatment. As for how to summon your Persona, it may prove difficult seeing as how you and your Persona have bonded on such a level. I believe that, in order to change Personae, you would have to have your body replaced by the body of said new Persona. Currently you have only **Orpheus**." Minato felt that the word was familiar, but he could not place it. It felt like an old friend. Philemon smirked. "Your destiny is an interesting one. The man who is one with Personae… Oh and by the way, I made sure to preserve your memory. Ordinarily you would have lost it. You'll need it. Its one of the few things keeping you human." Philemon's cheery voice echoed as he vanished into the emptiness surrounding the two. Minato shook his head. He didn't quite understand what most of the man said. Despite his appearance, he was still a young boy on the inside. It all felt way over his head.

* * *

M1N470 woke up. Or powered on. To be honest, he wasn't sure if he was a man or a machine anymore. He knew he had a soul though. He had that much going for him. He looked around him. The first thing he noticed was that there was an odd display in his vision. A top bar showing what direction he was facing and a map in the corner of his vision. He also noticed a picture with his new face off to the side, two full bars beside it. He knew not what the bars meant. He willed them away and they disappeared. Cool trick. He was in what appeared to be a laboratory. There were several desks with papers blanketing them and several more filled with tools of all sorts. M1N470 looked down. M1N470 was standing up on a pedestal in the center of the room. It was circular, the room was. There were four exits, one in each cardinal direction, and the walls were lined with books of all sorts. He stepped off the pedestal and started towards one of the exits.

A loud ring sounded in the room as armed security officers rushed in. M1N470 looked at them. Some shirked back in fear. Others were awed. The metal man had been immobile for months! His red eyes glowed as he swept his vision across the room. They security was informed of the power an A.S.W. had, but this one was projected to have far more than any of the others. He was the rumored 8th Generation A.S.W. He was a being that surpassed even the 7th generation Aigis in terms of pure potential alone. Guns would hardly work on him if he decided to attack.

A man in a suit with black hair and an eye-patch over his right eye came in, his young daughter followed him. She had curly pigtails, a red ribbon with a green gem, a white fluffy blouse, a red skirt, white stockings, and brown shoes. The sea of security guards parted as the two walked towards the metal man. They approached the pedestal as M1N470 regarded them with a curious gaze. '_Who are they?'_ He thought, noting how important they seemed to be.

"I see you've woken up. Tell me what your model is and who your creators are. I would also like a detailed report on the events of Moonlight Bridge." The man's voice was direct and demanding. It oozed authority. M1N470 would have felt scared by this man if he were still… human. But he was not. There was nothing this man could do to hurt M1N470. M1N470 felt no pain. M1N470 felt nothing. Save for the sadness of a lonely child, but even that would pass.

"My… creators… are dead." M1N470's voice was a whisper. There was a melancholic tone in his voice. To hear the machine speak, and with even the slightest emotion, shocked everyone in to silence. Sadness was not something an A.S.W. could grasp. A smile formed on Takeharu's lips. Through this disaster came a miracle. He felt the power this A.S.W. exuded, a result of having the Potential, but not the Persona. M1N470 would make a good vanguard in future missions and a bodyguard for his daughter. But that was in terms of power. M1N470 had to be loyal to the Kirijo Group. And Takeharu knew just the plan to put into play for the machine that possessed emotion, no matter how little it was.

"Would you like revenge for the deaths of your creators?" The way M1N470'S eyes seemed to glow an ever brighter red answered his question affirmatively. Given the location, it was the Shadows that caused the death of the creators. However, the machine could not fight them alone. A.S.W. forces had gone down that route in the path and ultimately failed. M1N470 would have to wait until at least Takeharu's daughter, Mitsuru, had matured enough to fully use her power in combat situations. In the meantime, they would continue looking for other Persona-users in order to create a combat squad of sorts. The new tower that appeared over their previous lab during the Dark Hour was too ominous, too filled with Shadows for them to venture inside. They barely escaped when it first formed.

"My… creators… died in a car crash when the world… turned green. Who would I fight to avenge them?" The glow seemed to dim from M1N470'S eyes as he tilted his head in a questioning expression. Takeharu thought he heard his daughter say something, something like "Kawaii", but when he looked towards her she started coughing. How very peculiar.

Takeharu didn't know how to answer the robotic boy. For once, he was stumped. How would he convince the boy to join them? Then he came up with a new plan.

"How about you stop many more people from dying because of the green world? Join us. We're the **Kirijo Group**. I am **Takeharu Kirijo** and this is my daughter, **Mitsuru Kirijo**. With your power, you could save lives. You could be a **hero**." Takeharu knew this would work after the first question. The boy didn't want more death. However, at the word hero, he seemed to wince, as if he felt being a hero would be a bad thing. Internally, Takeharu chuckled. M1N470 was a noble one.

M1N470 nodded. He would take this opportunity. He was not as empty as he thought any longer. He now had purpose. He would be a hero, just like the protagonist of the movie was, but this time, there would be a happy ending. He would make sure of it. Everyone would know the joy he could no longer feel.

"I'll help. My name is… Minato."

**CRASH!**

* * *

A/N: Okay, I started playing P3P and then I had an idea. The boom! Story. Some Social Links will be different and Minato will be present in SEES before Yukari and will be there when Shinji and Akihiko first join. So first impressions. Good? Bad? Amazing and we love you KingofZeroX-sama? (Kidding) Ahem... now...

**REVIEW.** Please?


	2. Chapter 2 Chainlink Bonds

**Chapter 2: Chain-link Bonds**

* * *

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."_

That sound. The one that preluded that voice in his head. It caused Minato to shake, to shudder. If he were human, he'd have been sweating or hyper-ventilating, but no discernible expression crossed his steel visage as he was led out of the room by a scientist. That sound was the most horrible thing he'd ever heard. It was the sound of his parents' car crashing. Yet strangely, he felt relieved when the sound happened. Afterwards, he felt more human, more alive, after he created the bond. It was as if something was now anchoring him to his current path, where that path leads he did not know, and beyond that it was indescribable. He had decided to touch his fingers together and he swore for the barest of moments he felt the fabric of the glove. The feeling was quick and happened so fast he might have imagined it, but he knew he did not. It was too real.

He followed the scientist down the hall. She'd given her name earlier, but he didn't find it important enough to remember for some odd reason. Finally, he arrived at a large grey door with a red number 1 imprinted upon. The scientist started speaking in a monotone, boring voice. Like a teacher.

"You will be fighting enemies of the lowest difficulty in order to get a sense of where your skills and specialties lay. You will be fighting replications of the **Shadows** from the first floor of **Tartarus**. We'd have more models, but regrettably we have very few that possess the Persona and those few aren't mature enough for battle yet. You will have 5 minutes to defeat the enemies with any means necessary, understood?"

Tartarus. That was where he was going to eventually explore. It was just like the movie he saw with his parents. Before they died, of course. For some odd reason he couldn't remember the exact plot. Philemon might have preserved his memory, but it was still the memory of a child. He decided to ask the question that had been nagging at him.

"What are Shadows?" Minato asked as he tilted his head to the side quizzically. It just felt so natural to do that expression. The scientist looked flabbergasted.

"Are you telling me you never fought them before? Ever? And you don't even know what Shadows are?" The scientist was very much surprised. She wondered what his programming must contain if it lacked information on Shadows. She sighed, "Shadows are monsters that come out in the **Dark Hour, the 25****th**** hour in which the world turns green**. Only those with the **Potential** can experience the Dark Hour without being enclosed in a protective **coffin**. This," she handed him a golden lyre, "Is your **weapon**. It can **imitate** any weapon, save for the color. You should know this. The lyre was on your back when we found you. Now, touch it to this." She pulled a short sword off a rack on the wall. Minato, gripping the lyre tightly, gently touched it to the sword. Instantly a golden light consumed the instrument and the sound of the instrument being strummed rang out. In his hand was now an exact replica of the short sword. He raised it to eye level, turning it as he took in all the details.

"So I use… this and Persona to fight the monsters?" The scientist nodded. Minato decided not to mention he didn't know how to use his Persona powers. He had a sword. He'd just do what all the characters in his videogames would do. Horizontal slash, vertical slash, spin attack. He was fairly certain he had the basics down at least. His body didn't need to train to use a sword. He didn't have muscles. That was a plus. Metal hit harder.

The door opened and Minato walked through. It was a large circular room. The floor was checkered with black and white. The walls eerily glowed green, making the area seem all the more otherworldly. The ceiling was very high up, making the room appear as if it were prepared to house large enemies. In the very center of the room were five masked masses of black sludge. The door shut behind Minato, the loud slamming alerting the creatures to his presence. '_I just realized something. I have no clue how to fight.'_ Minato raised his sword and charged in. He moved way faster than he'd ever moved before and charged right past them. He was not used to running or jumping or doing anything in this new body. The monsters turned once more to face him. One charged at him, intending to swipe at him with its shadowy hand. Minato was faster. He swung his sword and sliced the hand off before driving his sword into the mask of the creature. He could do it! Four more to go. He wasn't ready to run again. It would be better if they all charged at him like the previous one.

The monsters stayed still, wary. One raised its hands, an aura enveloping it as it did so, but nothing happened.

_[Jump, young one!]_

Minato heeded the strange voice and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the spike of ice that had just sprung up on the spot where he was standing earlier. Minato, too concerned with fighting these things and the voice in his head, didn't notice he had jumped 30 feet into the air, nearly touching the high ceiling. He crashed back down through the spike of ice, destroying the ice without harming his metal body. Minato still wondered who that voice was.

_[Thou art I and I am thou. My name is Orpheus. Our bodies are one, thus connecting us even further. We are one. As such, I will bestow upon you knowledge of our power.]_ Information flooded into Minato's head. He knew his powers, he knew how to fight. He knew his strengths and weaknesses in an instant. It was odd. Orpheus, the Persona that took the place of his body, talked to him. And gave him knowledge on how to use his Persona abilities... But wait…

'_Wait. Why did you wait until now to tell me?_' Minato asked Orpheus. He didn't know how to speak to others in his mind. To be honest, the thought of others in his mind was concerning and uncomfortable. Would this be something he would have to get used to? He hoped not. A crowded head sounded painful and uncomfortable for all parties involved. He wasn't sure if he got the message across to Orp-

_[I wished to see how you would respond to the sudden rush of battle, young one. You made a valiant effort on your, but it will not be enough. We fight together. The knowledge transfer I just did was only possible due to how in-sync we_ _are during battle_._ I doubt you will be able to do such a thing with other Personae.]_ He got the message.

_'Jerk. Everyone keeps mentioning multiple Personae. Where do I get other Personae? Do I create them? How?' _Minato was thirsting for knowledge. He hadn't heard anything about the attainment of new Persona at all. It seemed like a good time to learn. After all, who would know more about Persona than a Persona?

_[We are still in a fight, are we not?]_

Right. Minato had not moved ever since he landed. Questions could come later. The fake Shadows rushed at him, intent on turning him into scrap metal. Minato held his right hand out, palm facing the incoming monsters, and aimed at the nearest one.

"AGI!" A fireball shot out of Minato's hand as he shouted the name of the attack. The flames easily consumed the monster, effectively destroying it. 3 left. The child inside him felt like a superhero at the sight of such power. The new side of him, the robotic and mature side, aimed at the next monster, the previous one having been destroyed in a single explosion caused by the fireball. The monsters were stunned for a moment, giving him a chance to fire a second attack.

"AGI!" Another one was destroyed. This time, however, the fireball was a bit low and blew pieces of the monster away and into a wall. The wall was smeared with the black grease of oil from the fabricated Shadow. Two left. The other ones seemed more determined now and raced toward him faster than before. Minato jumped again, fearing for the ice attack from below again. He looked down as he rose, wondering where the ice was coming from.

Crack!

He was knocked down to the floor by a sudden force from above. Lying on his back, he saw that the ice spike had sprung downwards from the _ceiling. _He didn't know they could do that! A picture of him appeared off to the side of his vision. The two bars below it were slightly empty._ 'Health? Like a video game? And the other must be magic power. This makes life so much easier.'_ He now knew how much he could take and how much he could dish out. This was incredibly helpful.

Standing up and pulling his sword from the ground where it had landed after his fall, he once more charged the monsters, no, they were Shadows. He was going to use the other move Orpheus uploaded into him. He jumped in the air and his sword glowed gold as it expanded. A beautiful note rang out, as if played on the lyre itself. He hefted the new shape above his head effortlessly. It was a giant, golden lyre. He was going to take them both out at once. Minato smiled as his eyes radiated a fierce red light before calling out the name of his attack.

"BASH!" A loud boom sounded out as he smashed his large instrument into the ground, creating a crater as he smashed the Shadows into oblivion. The lyre then shrunk into its normal state, no longer a sword, but an instrument once more. An engraving of a short sword on the side of it was the only evidence it has transformed at all. Minato bowed towards the camera in the room expressionlessly and walked out.

_[Excellent performance, young one.]_

* * *

Mitsuru had been watching it. She was in awe. She was certain her father was as well. She was also certain her father was thinking things like, "Now I don't have to send my daughter into battle", but that wouldn't do. She would protect her father with this ASW. This being that could use his Persona's powers as if he was one. She wanted to meet him. He was powerful and noble in her eyes. He was like a real superhero. Not that Mitsuru read any of those manga. No, really. Honestly, she didn't. She didn't even watch shows about magical girls. Especially not when there weren't any people around. She looked back toward the screen in the observation, the one replaying the fight. That smile he did before he attacked was the best part. It showed something that would not be normally seen from a machine. He was an odd ASW, but a good one.

"Tres bien." She whispered, using the new compliment she learned from her French tutor, as she smiled slightly. Maybe this ASW liked to watch shows about magical girls…

* * *

Minato was questioned by the Kirijo Group. It was to be expected. He was different. He didn't "summon" a Persona, but used their powers directly. He stayed as the machine during the questioning. When asked as to how he got his powers, he merely stated, "My creators made me this way" and they left him well enough alone. They recognized that he was more than just a machine as well. If he had to venture a guess, it had something to do with the various comments of "He smiled!" that the various scientists were uttering in groups as he walked by them in the hallway. Apparently not many ASWs smiled or if they did, did not come from outside the company know for making them. He was given a room as well. It was full of machine parts and maintenance equipment. There was no bed. He asked for one. Then there was a bed. Although, it broke when he tried to sleep on it. No more bed. So he asked for a sturdier one. Yay. New bed. It broke again. The scientists then devoted a small team to creating a bed able to be used by him. The thought that an ASW doesn't sleep never occurred to them.

Minato was assigned to be Mitsuru Kirijo's bodyguard for the time being and was to watch over her to make sure she didn't use her powers wrong and blow herself up into small heiress bits. He was the only other Persona user on the base after all. His duty would start the next day, and he was given a pass to all levels of the base. They seemed quick to trust him. What Minato didn't know, however, was that they had run tests during his sleep in which he dreamed of Philemon. Those tests didn't require him to be "powered on" and were meant to determine how he would react if he was awakened. The results were interesting, but Minato didn't need to know them. Not yet, at least.

As it turned out, they were at the underground Kirijo HQ located at Yakushima. Where on Yakushima they were, Minato did not know. Port Island was the location of Tartarus. Takeharu and Mitsuru were taking a short "vacation" away from Port Island until they were sure that they could defend themselves. Mitsuru would most likely be the only one going back; she had a bodyguard for a reason. Minato was bored, so he decided to explore.

"M1N470?" A soft, feminine voice called out to him. He turned around to face Mitsuru Kirijo, heiress of the Kirijo Group, and also another child that was pulled into this mess, just like him. He had no idea how to guard anybody's body and even less of an idea how to act around girls. When he decided not to be close to anyone (an idea promptly shot down by Philemon) he had forgotten about girls. If he was in his old body, he was sure she would be at least a year older than him. It was amusing how much bigger he was given the age difference. He cast a glance at the sign on the hallway. B11. Was she supposed to be this far down?

"My name is Minato." He deadpanned. Why did they call him M1N470? He didn't really like that name. He didn't seem to mind it due to how much it seemed to... match him, but it made him feel less... human. Not that he minded it.

"Right… Sorry." She blushed in embarrassment a little before continuing, "I would like to congratulate you on the position father has granted you. This is not a job he would give to anyone. He is putting a lot of faith in you. **ASWs don't lie**, but to be trusted like that is a great honor nevertheless. He must feel **some sort of connection** with you. You are truly remarkable." She smiled at him, but certain things about what she said stuck out to him. Did he lie? He didn't tell the entire truth. Why? It felt like he couldn't tell them that he was human. It was as if some force was stopping him dead in his tracks. Perhaps it was himself. He didn't feel that human at all. He felt like what they called him. An Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon.

"Thank you for the coming down here to tell me. Was there anything else you wanted?" Minato tried to work some gratitude into his voice. By the way her expression changed, it seemed to work. Then she started blushing and fidgeting. '_What's she going to say? Is this a confession? I'm too young to get married!'_ The child in Minato seemed panicked, but his was not the voice outside. Minato gave her another stoic look with a little bit of interest seeping in this time. If it wasn't marriage... then what was it?

"W-w-what d-d-do y-y-you think of magical girl shows?!" She stammered out before quickly shouting out the last part. Minato pondered that. He was more into anime like Dragon Ball Z. Action was good. His sister had loved "Magical Detective Loveline" and adored the main character, Loveline. His sister… she had died just a year before the accident in a fit of illness. His grandfather buried his sister on his estate. He wasn't allowed to go or even see her body. Would he defile his sister's love of magical girls? No way. Magical girls… watch out! Minato is not going to defile the memory of his sister by turning you away, damn it! He turned his head away, thinking of the careful wording he would have to use. She was nervous. Did she want to watch with him?

"They're okay. Also, with your Persona powers, aren't you technically a magical girl as well?" He internally snickered at her expression before continuing, "I wouldn't mind watching them with you if you let me watch Dragon Ball Z." He turned to face her once more after saying it. Mitsuru looked like Christmas had come early. And she didn't get clothes this time. Why were Minato's clothes he got for Christmas always blue? Just because of one little mutation when he was born everything had to be BLUE of all things! He didn't really even like blue. He liked red, like his scarf. It was cool. He looked like a ninja or superhero. Mitsuru beamed at him, nodded, and ran away as a bright light flashed and time stopped for the second time that day.

* * *

A single thought played in her head besides the glee she felt at someone willing to watch anime with her (for she was about to give it up), _'He watches Dragon Ball Z?'_ The thought was quickly discarded and forgotten. Mitsuru felt like a little girl for the first time since they discovered her Persona powers. She felt… connected to M1N47- Minato. And it was wonderful.

* * *

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Empress Arcana."_

…

…

…

Where was the "**CRASH!**"?

* * *

Minato kept exploring, this time heading down to the lowest level. B50. It was well underwater at this point. He observed his surroundings. He was in a large storage area. There were boxes of all shapes and sizes, some were on shelves, and others were stacked and forming mountains. He weaved through the labyrinth of boxes until he reached the wall on the far side. So far there was nothing of interest. Minato sighed. He felt it again. That feeling of him becoming more human along with the sensation of touch appeared once more. Did that mean that his bonds could turn him human? It was a long-shot, but at the very least he felt he could eventually have a feeling of touch or taste. He started walking towards the farthest corner of the storage area. Then something odd happened.

There was a large box in the form of a coffin. It emitted a blue glow. This wasn't the Dark Hour. Why was there a coffin? Steadily growing more curious, he approached the coffin. On the side was an incredibly complex array of buttons and a screen that was asking for a password. Why would something this secure be down here? Minato then realized this place was an utter mess and humongous. Hiding something in a place like this would mean it would take years for it to be found. Luckily, he had an advantage. Finding his way around had appeared easy for him because of the map that had spontaneously appeared in the bottom left corner and was being filled out as he explored. It was very hard to get lost with that. Minato then, in a fit of childishness he no longer knew he had, fired an Agi at the coffin's locks. Would he get in trouble? Probably, but there wasn't anything they could do to hurt him anyway. He slightly loved being a metal man at that thought.

The coffin hissed as it opened up. Lying in the coffin with her arms crossed over an axe lying on her chest was a teenage girl. Except she had metal parts. Girls didn't ordinarily have those, right? She had pale skin and bluish gray hair. Her eyes were closed. She wore a helmet, one that reminded Minato of one of those knights in the stories he read about, that had red headphone like things on it that were over her ears and she wore what appeared to be a white, sleeveless jumpsuit that went up to her neck and had thin yellow stripes. Metal covered her sides and met at her waist, cutting off the jumpsuit. Her arms were metal and she had the appearance of wearing red metal gauntlets with grey fingers. Her legs were also metal. Her hair was in the style of a long ponytail. Minato thought she looked beautiful, the giant axe just made her look more powerful and awesome. She was... pretty, but it was weird thatshe chose this place to nap. Minato knocked on her head. She shouldn't be sleeping here! Minato felt as if a portion of his power suddenly left him when he touched her. He checked the newly dubbed "HP and SP Bars" and noticed his SP was a little bit less. Weird.

Red eyes fluttered open. The girl sat up at lightning speed and looked at her savior. Then she noticed the metal on his body. She grabbed her axe and swung at Minato, who was able to dodge. She was slow from just waking up. She jumped out of the coffin and faced Minato, weapon drawn. She charged him and did a vertical slash, trying to cut him in half. He side-stepped and barely avoid losing an arm. She swung horizontally and Minato jumped into the air and landed right in front of her. Minato took the opportunity between axe swings to flick her on the forehead. Minato had seen something in her eyes that piqued his interest. _'Fear?' _She suddenly seemed to snap out of it when Minato had flicked her. She looked at him confusedly, as if she had been under a spell.

"Do you swing an axe at everybody who tries to help you? Or am I just the exception?" Minato said, hoping to get her to drop her weapon. She looked at him suspiciously, searching his face for expression and watching his arms and legs in case he moved to attack.

"Help me? Who are you? Your design is very different than the others." She said, still holding her axe ready. She had a Kansai accent. Odd. Minato sighed, and put on a weary smile. He seemed to be "putting on" more expressions than actually feeling them. He had a feeling it would become a habit. How many more times would he have to introduce himself in the span of one day? It was getting tiring. The girl looked surprised at his expression; as if it was a sight she wasn't used to.

"Call me Minato. And yes, look where we are. I found you here and woke you up. This place doesn't seem like a good place to rest, does it? As for my design… don't ask me. I didn't create myself. And isn't it proper to introduce yourself first?" Minato answered, still hoping she would drop the deadly weapon. She searched his face one more time before…

THUNK! She did.

"Right. I'm **Labrys**. Thank you for… helping me. Where are we exactly?" Labrys asked. She was shorter than Minato. He didn't realize that at first. The axe seemed to… add to her height. Without it, she seemed so small, so frail. Harmless, even. But harmless people didn't carry a giant axe. They also didn't swing at people to say hello. Unless it's a new trendy way of meeting someone. But even then that's kind of pushing it.

"Kirijo Group HQ. Yakushima." Minato replied, almost robotically. Labrys looked hurt at that, like the name held some bad memories behind it. She had been traumatized by some event, some horrible, horrible, event, pertaining to the location. She reminded him of when he lost his parents. That day seemed so far way, yet he had only been awake for a single day since they died. Labrys had lost those closest to her as well. It may be even worse than that. It was apparent on her face. She was very expressive for a robotic girl. Yet, there was also a righteous fury hidden deep in her expressive, crimson eyes. Eyes that were much like his own. She looked like she needed a hug.

CLANK!

Minato embraced her without hesitation, without thoughts. She hugged him back. Two people who couldn't feel, hugged. Minato didn't know why he did it, why he hugged her. He wasn't human anymore. He couldn't feel. The closer he got, the more it would hurt. The only pain he could now feel was caused by things like this. Bonds. Yet why did this hug make him feel so much better? Why did the pain seem to go away? A bright flash of light heralded a new Social Link.

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana."_

This time, the time when he was able to feel for an instant, he found he didn't mind getting close to people. Minato felt a need to reaffirm his beliefs. He was a hero. A hero would ensure a happy ending for everyone. All the people close to him would be saved by his hands. Nobody would ever have to go through the same pain as him. The pain of losing those closest to you. That would mean that if he started getting close to people, then he would have to work his hardest not to die, not to fall, not to break. He would start combat practice even more intensely tomorrow. He would stop the Dark Hour.

"Thanks", she said, breaking off the hug. "I... I needed that. They can't find me, not now." She looked around the area, taking in the size and surroundings. "I'll hide out down here. I was deactivated after all. With my scanners, I'll be fine. Just... um... Make sure to visit me sometime. Us ASWs have to stick together." She grimaced at that, as if another bad memory had popped up. She smiled at him, the first of which he had seen from her, and waved goodbye before she vanished in the mountains of boxes.

Minato waved goodbye. He was left with many questions. What happened to her? What was happening to him? Why was she deactivated? Who was searching for her? Minato had a lot of questions for Takeharu Kirijo. He would make sure to get his answers. After all, nobody could hurt him. He was metal. And metal didn't feel pain.

* * *

Aigis woke up. It was the same dream. She was older and fighting a demon. That part was always cool, but there was the second part. The part where her older-self messed up. A boy suffered tremendously for it. Who was he? Aigis shook her head, dispelling the thoughts. It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything. She pushed her pink covers off and walked over to turn the lights on. Once the lights were on, she walked over to her CD player, her small feet creating a padded rhythm on the carpet, and put on her favorite red headphones. She was listening to more music than usual tonight.

* * *

That night a voice greeted Minato.

"Welcome to the **Velvet Room**, young man. The VIP Treatment is already set aside for you. Right through that door."

Why do all these strange things keep happening to him?

* * *

A/N: This chapter is a bit more lighthearted at parts than the prologue. It should get a little more lighthearted as time goes on, but that doesn't mean the darkness will go away. Persona 3 is great because it manages to capture both and turn it to an ultimately uplifting theme. Okay so here we have Labrys being introduced here. When I found out her back story, I just had to put her in. She fits in so well to the current world and her Social Link will give Minato the view of another mechanical being, something he kind of needs. And yes, Mitsuru watches magical girl shows. She's only had the future of mankind on her shoulders for a few months, so she isn't fully the Mitsuru we know yet. But she will be, except her interactions with Minato may lead to her being slightly more girlish in at least one regard. Also, Social Links have finally arrived. I probably won't go too into detail on the less significant ones (I'm trying to rearrange the Social Links in order to get Links that will have the most impact on Minato, so I don't know how well that will turn out) Next chapter is Velvet Room, a little more of the past, and then a timeskip to Akihiko because, let's face it, Persona 3 is a looooong game and I'm not even started. Now...

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **Glad you liked it. I'm going to continue this. Your review made me happy enough to keep writing and get this chapter out faster than expected.

**Anon:** I will take your suggestion and keep going, good sir or madam!

**Twin Judge of Gemini: **The pairing is still undecided, but a MitsuruxMinatoxAigis pairing is entirely possible. And cute. I'll be posting a poll for the pairing on my profile after the Chapter 4 update to see what you guys what.

**The Heartless Wanderer:** Yay! Constructive Criticism! Okay, as you see here in this chapter, this was part of my plan for the use of the word **CRASH!** It won't be repetitive and there's a reason why it only happened once. As for the bolded words, they are terms or names that Minato finds important, much like how certain words would be in a different color in the game. They aren't as random as they seem. I'll use them to show the importance of certain terms or maybe even distract the reader from the importance of things Minato doesn't find important. It will make plot twists much more fun. You know the name of that one scientist in the beginning? No? Well, Minato didn't find her important. She didn't get bold.

**Blackfang27:** Thanks for the compliment. I don't want to spoil too much, but right now Minato doesn't have enough of his own life essence/soul to seal a puppy. A reaaally evil puppy. He'll need an alternate solution when NYX comes around and I'm currently playing around with a few of them in my head.

**Yuuji Narukami: **Yu Narukami? The Persona 4 protag?! Oh my, it is an honor for you to read my story. As for this being MitsuruxMinato. It's possible. And also incredibly cute. I'm undecided for a reason. Each pairing could very well have a huge impact on the story and the ending. I don't want to pair it off yet until I establish a base from which to branch off of... but if you think about... maxing all the Social Links would automatically give Minato a Harem... DARN IT! If you want MitsuruxMinato then vote when I put the poll up after Chapter 4. :D

Okay, those are the reviews. Now here is the question: Who do you want to pair Minato up with?

**REVIEW.** Pwease?


	3. Chapter 3: The Forge

**Chapter 3: The Forge**

**UPDATE: Removed the Fuuka Scene and put in a little bit something more instead. Ikutsuki's monologue got a bit beefed up as well.  
**

* * *

Everything was blue. Was Minato destined to be followed by that color? Where was all the red? He said it before and he'll say it again. Minato likes red. Not blue. Not green. Red. Minato looked to the old man across from him. His eyes were too large, his nose too long, his smile too big. He was like a cartoon or a character from a monster movie. Beside him stood a girl dressed as an elevator attendant. A stylish elevator attendant dressed in blue with platinum blond hair and golden, otherworldly eyes. Minato was in a large, blue elevator that was constantly accelerating upwards. He recalled what lead to this event… '_I went to see Takeharu, but he wasn't in. There was an emergency conference in Okinawa. Then I went to bed. Those scientists do work fast. They made a bed out of triple reinforced gold titanium alloy. Sounds like something out of fiction.'_ And now here he was. The attendant, **Elizabeth**, he remembered, waved at him before opening a door to the right of her. That was another weird thing. There were four doors that just stood there, connected to nothing, yet standing straight, two on each side. He looked at the old man, **Igor**, he had introduced himself as, and asked a question that had been nagging at him.

"Are you guys the people Philemon told me to come to?" Minato asked cautiously. The way Igor's already creepily large smile seemed to widen answered that question. Minato walked across the floor of the elevator to the open door. He looked in to see an impossible scene. It was an indescribably large sea that seemed to stretch out forever. In the center was a small island with smoke rising from it. How could this be possible when there was nothing the door was connected to? Minato looked around the back of the still open door. It was still connected to nothing physical. Weird. Minato was going to have to get used to these types of things. Minato walked in through the door that he now knew was connected to something. Elizabeth giggled as she followed him in before slamming the door shut behind her. The two were alone now, standing on a beach. To the side was a boat with an oar in it. Elizabeth motioned to him.

"Please, take a seat." She said politely, her delicate voice filling the silence. Minato did as she requested and took a seat on the wooden boat. Elizabeth stood at the back of the boat and took up the oar. She started paddling while remaining standing, as if they were in Venice. The island slowly got closer and closer. Things were moving way too fast for Minato. He still had no idea how he even got here in the first place.

"Who exactly are you people? How did I get here? Where are we going?" Minato asked rapid-fire. He wasn't comfortable here in an unfamiliar setting. Alone. With a girl. With nobody else in sight. _'I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really need to get used to things like this.' _Minato thought, fighting back the blush that threatened to consume his face. Wait… since when was he able to do that again?

"Well, I believe we have already been acquainted. I am Elizabeth, a denizen of the Velvet room. We pulled you from your **dreams**. As for where we are going, it is a place reserved for the rare VIP guest. It has been like that ever since a **previous guest stole our knowledge of how to infuse Personae into weapons**. You are the first and only VIP guest so far. The place is called the **Forge**. Its purpose will be explained once we arrive. And yes, you possess the ability to blush here. It is your essence, not your body, which is present here. You may find yourself more human-like here." She answered with a cheerful lilt in her voice. How did she know he was going to ask her about the blush?

"What does the VIP Treatment consist of?" Asked Minato, still curious. How come nobody could ever just tell him the information outright? Was it really that hard? It wasn't like he couldn't handle it or anything.

Elizabeth smiled at the still curious boy. He was a being much like they were, yet was so very different. Elizabeth had danced around the Velvet Room when Philemon told them of the new guest. Literally. Igor had to bribe her to calm down with those wonderful breaded things. What were they called again? Takoyaki? "The VIP Treatment consists of access privileges to all **four** rooms. Each one serves a different function. This one will be perhaps the most valuable to you. "Elizabeth finished as a dull thwack announced the boats arrival to the island. Minato could now see why there had been smoke coming off this island. And why it was called the Forge. In the middle of the island there appeared to be a well. Upon closer inspection, one would find that the well would lead to magma instead of water. Magma that was hot enough to melt a deity. Elizabeth ran ahead of Minato, who had merely taken a single step since exiting the boat, and turned towards him in order to face the VIP guest. She held her arm out as if she was showing off a prize Minato had just won.

"This is how you change Persona. This solution is one that would work for you and only for you. Right now we are in the **sea of your soul**. That is why the door is not connected to any **physical** pathways. It connects to the souls of the guests. This island is your **personal Forge**. The Forge is powered by your Social Links. The stronger the bond, the stronger the things forged in here relating to the Arcana of the Social Link. Because Orpheus is your new body, you will be unable to truly change Personae without killing yourself. Thus, we will** Add On** or **Armor Change** with keeping the unaltered Orpheus body as a default. You will **become** the Personae you have equipped while still having Orpheus equipped as well. This Forge serves the purpose of turning Persona into **Parts or Sets **that you can either mix and match or swap. Here," She said, holding out a blue card, "Is the Persona **Pixie**. A low-level **Lovers Arcana.** Watch." Elizabeth tossed the card into the Forge. Blue flames shot out of the Forge and burned through one of the few clouds drifting lazily overhead. _'Wow. Hot.'_ Thought Minato. The blue flames continued to rise out of the flames before changing direction and colliding into Minato, the blue flames effortlessly entering without burning Minato at all.

"Now, **call** out her name. Call out Pixie." Elizabeth ordered, a gleeful expression on her face. Minato wasn't sure if he should be doing this. His mom and dad always told him to be wary of strangers. And this girl sure was strange. That much was certain... But then again, he didn't have any other choice. He signed a contract. Minato sighed. He was going to do it.

"PIXIE!" He shouted. Nothing happened. Minato waited a few seconds. Still nothing. A few more seconds…. Nothing.

"Oh, for the love o-"Whatever Minato was going to say was cut off by the sudden bright flash of light that hit him. Elizabeth wanted to cover her eyes, but was far too excited by the scene to even blink. Creepy. After the light faded away, there stood a new Minato. His hair was now red, his armor a royal blue, save for the hips and shoulders. His body had become sleeker and angular, more aerodynamic. The most prominent feature was the wings sticking out of his back. They were large and reminded Minato of insect wings. Orpheus provided him with more knowledge without saying a word.

Minato tried flapping his wings. That didn't work. He jumped into the air. Minato rose a good thirty feet, his maximum height, and then something odd happened. He didn't fall. He floated. Never rising, never falling, he hovered. Minato willed himself forward. He shot forward at amazing speeds. And then left and right. Did he do a barrel roll? Yes, yes he did. He did several. Elizabeth clapped and laughed at the amount of tricks and maneuvers Minato managed to do in midair before he finally willed his body to descend slowly. It was strange how "will" affected his powers so. Maybe he had the power all along, but was just learning how to finally utilize it. Maybe when he gained a new power, it became a deeper part of him. Minato didn't know. He turned to Elizabeth. She had a giddy look in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Very amusing! You are very entertaining. Perhaps I could convince Igor to higher you as entertainment… the pay is not very good, however… Anyway, your power has **limits** presently. Now, now, don't look so sad! As of right now, you have access to **the 4****th**** rank** of all Social Links. There are **10 ranks in total**. The rest will come in **time**. You aren't old enough to truly understand anything past rank 4, unfortunately. It is okay, you will find out when you are older. I don't really want you to grow up though; you are cute as you are now, when you don't have all the limits of the body on you." Elizabeth giggled. Then a flash of bright light and voices arrived.

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana."_

Elizabeth looked vexed. "A bond has formed between the two of us? That should not be able to happen." She muttered, before brightening up. "Looks like our destinies are now permanently intertwined, Minato. I look forward to working with you in the future." She beamed at him as the world faded to white.

* * *

A knock on the door woke Minato up.

"Yes," Minato replied. A muffled voice came through the doorway.

"Ojou-sama says she has an **appointment** with you today. It's Sunday. She said to meet in her room above-ground. I would also like to inform you that today is the **first day of your bodyguard duties. You will be with her until 3 'o clock this afternoon**. After that, you are to report to Takeharu Kirijo-sama. That is all." The sound of footsteps moving away convinced Minato that the lackey had finally left. Or henchman. What does it mean to "hench" anyway? _'Appointment? Ah, that. It is Sunday after all.'_ Minato's inner child was doing a happy dance. When was he going to get rid of that aspect again? Didn't it die out earlier? The outer, robotic Minato shut up the child in no time.

"Come in." Mitsuru's voice responded o Minato's knocking. He opened the door. She was sitting on the floor, her dark red hair disheveled, in pink pajamas with pictures of anime girls holding wands. She was sitting in front of the humongous television on the floor. She looked cute. Like any little kid would be in her position. And then she had a big yawn as she rubbed her eyes sleepily. Too cute. Then she looked at Minato. She blushed softly at having been caught yawning and patted the floor next to her, indicating that that was where she wanted the metal man to sit. Minato joined her on the floor silently, making sure to close the door behind him. Wouldn't want anyone overhearing, right?

"Okay, Minato-san. This show is **'Mahou Shoujo Piru-Chan'**. She fights the bad guys knows as the Darkness Brothers that are trying to bring unhappiness to the world using her **'Magic Freeze'** powers she got from a friendly Yeti-man. This episode is the first one. You must watch it in detail. There will be **a test afterwards**… and then you can watch your Dragon Ball Z, okay?" Mitsuru said seriously. It was hard not to laugh for Minato. Really, really, really, hard, but the machine was in charge, so he was fine on that front. Minato nodded, a grave expression on his face. She nodded as well and the two turned to the screen, completely serious. Then the theme song began to play. Minato briefly contemplated suicide when he found he started humming it.

* * *

"GO, PIRU-CHAN! **EXECUTE** THEM!" Mitsuru was shouting at the screen. The protagonist, a scantily clad magical girl named Piru-chan, was charging her ultimate attack, the Frozen Execution in which she trapped her enemies in a block of ice until they became good guys. It was a morbid and unrealistic concept. Minato, had he been human still, would have felt fearful of how excitably Mitsuru was telling someone to execute another. But, alas he was not. Minato checked the clock. 12 AM. '_I hope it isn't a marathon.' _Minato thought as he turned his attention back to the screen.

It was.

* * *

There really was a test. The worst part was that Minato aced it. He felt as if he became more **Charming **and that his **Academics** had increased greatly, but that was a bunch of bull.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Empress Arcana."_

Well, there's always that.

* * *

Minato met Takeharu in his office. Takeharu motioned to a seat across from him. He had a huge desk with what looked to be a library lining the walls. Off to the sides he had what appeared to be guns in glass cases. Intimidating. To anyone but Minato, that is. Minato sat in the comfy-looking seat. He didn't know if it actually was comfy, nor would he have cared. He couldn't feel the difference anyway.

"Good work today. Mitsuru-chan has grown fond of you, I hear. That is good. A bodyguard should get along well with their client. It helps with cooperation on the client's part. Now, I've hired you and you probably are wondering why. Why would I let you near my precious daughter? Well, let's just say a **blue butterfly told me**." Takeharu chuckled at that, as if it was some secret joke that only a select few would get. Takeharu continued, "I wish to talk to you about your **pay**. As Mitsuru-chan's bodyguard, you won't want for money. That will be provided for you and my daughter, of course. However, a being such as you must want something… more. A **wish**, perhaps? The Kirijo Group has a significant amount of influence in the world. I grant all my employees a small favor, you, however, will have a much bigger risk with your job. And, as they say, the bigger the risk the bigger the reward." Takeharu smiled at the end, showing he was grateful that Minato took the job. He truly was. Nobody else wanted to or could take the risk to protect his daughter. The danger was too high and many had backed far away from that job when they discovered she had a Persona.

Minato thought. He was content to just have a purpose, a goal. There wasn't anything he could think of that he wan-

_"They can't find me, not now. I'll hide out down here. I was deactivated after all."_

He thought of something.

* * *

Labrys was alone down in the lowest floor. She was sitting on a box next to her "coffin". She often sat here. It seemed familiar. She remembered the ASW she met the other day. His name was Minato… did that mean that he was forced to kill all the models of his kind as well? Named models were forced to do so. Like her... Labrys shook her head. He may not have been made by the Kirijo Group. That was what she hoped for. She didn't want to fight her friend, but was forced to. Forced to destroy her in order to get a Persona. Labrys never got a Persona, thus making the destroying, the killing, useless. But isn't all killing useless? Her axe is meant to cut down Shadows, to protect people from monsters. When she saw his red eyes, she saw her… sisters that she was forced to fight. She reacted on instinct. She winced at the thought of if he hadn't managed to dodge. That boy, however, managed to show emotion, expression even. He reminded her of #24. Her friend. She'd befriend this ASW. He seemed nice.

* * *

Somewhere slightly higher up, a flash blinded a certain metal man as he was walking. He slammed into a wall. It was… annoying. But hey, he didn't have to do anything for this rank up, so he accepted it.

* * *

Revenge for her fallen sisters did not cross her mind. She killed them and they accepted it. That didn't make the hurt, the trauma, any less. Not at all. Maybe she could atone. If she were to keep this ASW alive, one who had awoken her and saved her for no real reason save curiosity, the pain would go away. She'd preserve at least this one life. _'I hardly even know the kid and I want to protect him.'_ She smiled slightly at the odd and impossible decision she reached. How could she protect the kid if she couldn't be near him without being found by the Kirijo Group?

"Labrys-san?" It was Minato. He spotted her, eyes widening in surprise, for he did not know he would find her so easily, as he literally flew into her. Seriously, he had wings. Labrys was confused. What was with the palette swap and wings? That wasn't what he looked like last time! The two ASWs were taken away by the momentum into a small mountain of boxes. They crashed. Labrys crawled out of the boxes first. Minato popped up a second later, boxes sent flying by his sudden ascent. He was smiling at her.

"Labrys-san, how would you like to work as a bodyguard with me for Mitsuru-san? I convinced Takeharu and we'll be leaving this place you hate so much in about a week. Will you come with me and see a bit more of the world?" He asked sincerely, still smiling that small smile only an ASW could do. He remembered he had to use then -san honorific for Mitsuru, as she was now his boss. Labrys smiled as well. It was infectious. And now she would get her wish. She could protect this ASW who helped her. Everybody wins. But how could he possibly convince the Kirijo Group to put her in the line of duty? Labrys was perplexed, but still hugged the ASW in joy. He seemed much more expressive for some reason. His smile was small, but for an ASW, it was as if he was absolutely beaming. It was wonderful. And now Labrys could probably leave Yakushima and find the person she promised to find. She could fulfill her promise to #24.

* * *

A bright flash of light blinded Minato. _'She's really easy to level up with. I guess because we're similar in a way. Oh, well. At least I didn't have to watch a marathon and take a test for this rank.'_ Minato shuddered. Next time they were watching the channel that showed Dragon Ball Z first.

* * *

**(One week later)**

* * *

Minato sat in his room on his bed. He just finished his regular training after Mitsuru had gone to bed. He would always get better in sudden jumps and starts like a video game character leveling up. It was odd, but effective. He noticed though that it took longer each practice session to reach that next jump. He would always require stronger enemies. That was sad, yet exciting. He felt like a real hero for a moment. It was the day before they were going to go to Port Island, the location of Tartarus. He'd find plenty of enemies there.

A knock came at his door.

Minato got off his bed and walked over to the door. He opened it to find himself face to face with a man who had long, brown, wavy hair and glasses. The man smiled cheerfully at Minato.

"Hello! My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? Please, call me Ikutsuki. I'm one of the researchers here. I'm also the man coming with you to Port Island. Would you mind answering a few questions before we leave to go tomorrow? In private?"

Minato sighed. Not more questions. Mitsuru's test was terrifying enough. Reluctantly, Minato nodded. The man's smile widened and he entered the room, closing the door behind him and pushing past Minato. He placed a strange, flat, black disc on the wall and it remained attached.

"This is to stop any cameras or bugs in this room. I want a private conversation, after all." Ikutsuki smiled. Minato would have felt a bit perturbed by the thought if he didn't already understand the reasoning behind it. Would anyone let a machine they just met that could shoot fireballs out of its hands do whatever it wants? Ikutsuki continued, "You interest me greatly. I want to know just a little more about you. First question: **Why** do you fight? Excuse me if I'm rude, but **y****ou owe these people nothing** more than the cost it took them to move you. People are selfish, vile creatures. An ASW like you has no apparent reason to fight for mankind. While you were "asleep", they ran tests. They were top-secret. Allow me to divulge a bit of the results. You have no programming, no electricity to run you. It's almost as if you are living metal. They didn't scrap you merely because they were curious. That is all. They brought the Dark Hour and Shadows for the sake of their own avarice. Did you know that? **Mankind wishes for its existence to end**. It's the truth. Examples are seen throughout history and in today's modern culture. In the depths of their hearts, every human wishes to see the end, to stop being forced to struggle and barely survive. They pray for salvation, but they don't mean in life. They want to see their end, they've had their time in the limelight. Society is crumbling, not a day goes by when man doesn't kill man. Man is its own worst enemy and its own greatest friend. They wish to stop suffering. If you fight, you will be fighting against mankind's wishes. **Why not let them do what they want? Let their society reach their salvation, their end. Save them through death."** Minato was confused. Why was this man asking him these questions? Was it because he wanted the opinion of a non-human? One who chose to fight with a group instead of being programmed or forced into something? Or was it something else entirely? Minato remembered speeches from some of his favorite anime that dealt with these problems and ideas. He mixed and matched them together as he saw fit.

"Why would I let them die? My… creators… They were good humans. Mitsuru-san… she's a good human too. Takeharu-san even, despite his appearance, is good as well. I think even you, Ikutsuki-san, have good in you as well. It's faint, but present. As for me, I'm a hero. A hero is supposed to save the people. He doesn't cater to their every wish, but he will show up to save them when the world is in danger. When their lives are in danger, a hero will appear. Sometimes saving the people means doing the opposite of what they think they want. Just because some people want death, doesn't mean their children or even their neighbors want death. A hero is someone who does what is right even when nobody else wants him to." Minato finished. Then something odd happened. Ikutsuki smiled and a low, genuine laugh filled the room. Was his speech really effective?

"Impressive speech, Minato-kun. If only there were more people like you in the world… I'll show you the errors of you ways, yet. Have you ever heard the term **'majority rules'**? It is the principle upon which governments have been founded. Did you ever think of how **selfish** it is to try to impose your will on those who do not want it? Do you have the right to decide the fate of mankind for mankind? Wouldn't that make you no better than those kings and emperors that shackled democracy?" Minato was stumped by Ikutsuki's logic. He felt that he would need to be **smarter** if he were to ever talk to him on equal grounds.

"I don't know," Minato whispered. Ikutsuki flashed him a smile before turning to the door. As he opened the door and walked away, Ikutsuki's voice rang out. "I'm going to make like a tree and 'leave'. It was enlightening to talk with you. Seek me out when you have your **Answer**. Maybe then, we can truly help mankind…" His voice trailed off, leaving nothing but the soft sounds of rapidly vanishing footsteps. Minato closed the door and lay down on his bed. He was going to need sleep tonight. _'I'm... living metal?'_

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Devil Arcana."_

The voices in his head put him to sleep. Tomorrow he was going to head to Port City with Labrys, Mitsuru, and Ikutsuki. Mitsuru would be tutored for a little while longer at the mansion they had there until she was released to go to middle school. He had a feeling it would be fun. He'd kill monsters and save people. Nothing could possible go wrong… could it?

* * *

**(A few years later)**

* * *

Years had passed since they moved to Port Island. Minato had taken to wearing a zip-up red hoodie and white jeans. He kept the scarf and his lyre on him at all times. In his ear he always had a receiver that Mitsuru could use to communicate with him via her Persona. He hid his metal expertly, giving off the impression of being an average teenage boy that had a love of music. A good bodyguard looks prepared for the job in a suit and fully armed. A perfect bodyguard doesn't stand out. He protects without needing to look prepared because he is always prepared. Mitsuru was now in her final year of middle school. In all that time, Minato's Social Links had improved. He had managed to boost Mitsuru's Social Link up to 4 after the first year. Her birthday had been very special. She got to blow out a very large candle that was lit by an Agi. Minato also saved her from some dogs which had been chasing her after she accidentally ran into them with her bicycle, she hoped for a motorbike in a few more years. Minato hoped she wouldn't hit any dogs with that. Minato and Mitsuru made it a tradition of having Sunday "Appointments" every week, which was just watching anime in the morning.

Labrys was a fun co-worker. She would often use her axe for trivial things, like slicing a fruit. She seemed determined to show it was not meant for just killing. She was always nearby Minato during the Dark Hour. When he thanked her for her watching out for him with a gift, a stuffed white dog, which she promptly named Snowy for some odd reason, the Social Link reached 4. Minato noticed odd behavioral patterns in the girls. Sometimes he would catch them staring at him and when he would ask what the problem was, they'd blush and look away. Then they'd start to glare at each other. Weird. The three of them would then spar afterwards as practice for Persona summoning and regular attacks. It was always more vicious between the girls after their exchange of glares. Labrys had no Persona, but she always meditated, trying to access it whenever she could find the time. Apparently, a book she'd read has inspired her into thinking she could awaken like that.

Minato had no more dreams of the Velvet Room. He had a feeling that it would show up once more when he needed it. Where this feeling originated from, he did not know.

Ikutsuki had stayed aloof, getting acclimated with the high school Mitsuru would eventually join. He seemed more busy that not and would only ever stop by for an occasional hello and give a knowing wink to Minato as if asking him, 'Have you found your **Answer**, yet?' Minato would shake his head and Ikutsuki would shrug, indicating the silent conversation was over. Minato would often read Mitsuru's textbooks and help her with homework, not that she needed it. It was more to help him so that he could one day battle wits with Ikutsuki. It was a daunting task, trying to find his Answer.

The Kirijo Group had found a new Persona user: **Akihiko Sanada**. He was the boxing champ of the school Mitsuru attended. Minato was currently waiting outside while she convinced him to join. Labrys was meditating at home, intent on achieving her Persona. Minato was pacing in front of the school gates, waiting for Mitsuru to finish. He thought of Ikutsuki. There was something off about him. Ever since Ikutsuki moved with them to Port Island, Minato had been finding it harder and harder to find the man that initially asked him the questions and spoke of men as vile creatures. Minato didn't think this was a sign of change for the better, however. Ikutsuki seemed to be more withdrawn. The two were barely more than acquaintances, but Minato seemed to often think about the Social Links he had formed so far. Each one correlated with an **Arcana** of **Tarot Cards**, he'd researched that much in his limited free time.

Ikutsuki was the **Devil**. It was both a positive and negative Arcana that could either mean temptation, selfishness, violence, impulsiveness and being a slave to ones' feelings and impulses or a healthy bond or commitment. This made him more enigmatic. Which one was he really?

Mitsuru was the **Empress**, it was fitting. Except on Sundays. Those were Appointments.

Elizabeth was the **World**, she knew her place in life. Minato thought it suited her.

Labrys was **Fortune**. Fortune can give abundantly or take much away. He believed it was the latter; she'd often have a sad expression when she thought he wasn't looking. And then she would go off on her own...

The Kirijo Group, or just the group fighting Shadows, (Minato did not know which), was the **Fool** and represented the start of a **Journey**. Most likely the fight against the Shadows.

"So who would be **Death?**" He whispered as he turned his gaze upwards.

* * *

Mitsuru and Akihiko arrived shortly after Minato's musings. The white-haired boxer with a bandage on his nose looked at him approvingly. Mitsuru had her "Ice Queen" personality on the outside, but the slight upturning of her lips signified her silent joy she felt for her victory.

"Nice colors. Red and white are for real men. Heh, I'm starting to like you already. I heard you're Mitsuru-san's bodyguard. You know, we should see how capable of being a bodyguard you are. You look strong, but let's test it. Do you want to have a quick spar?" Akihiko asked. Minato smiled an evil smile. A new expression he picked up. _'This guy likes to train and spar? I think I'm going to like this guy.'_ _  
_

* * *

Aigis dreamed again. This time it was of a white haired boy, the fully transformed version of the boy who always haunted her dreams. He was fighting with another white haired boy. The two attacked each other mercilessly, one with a sword and supernatural speed and agility, the other with his fists. They looked like they were having the time of their life. The world they were fighting in was the same as her original dream. Aigis woke up with a smile on her face. And a hint of jealousy.

* * *

A/N: Done. This one is a bit longer and a bit more sped up. I kind of really want to get to the beginning of the game by chapter 4. Now we have more Social Links starting out. I'm sure someone is going to be wondering why Labrys is moving faster. Well, in her mind Minato is kind of overlapping with #24. And how is she looking for the person #24 told her to search for? Is she really meditating when everyone else is gone or busy? And a lot of you keep saying MinatoxMitsuru so I gave you the "Appointment" section. It will be a regular thing. And Junpei will make wise cracks about it. Also, Ikutsuki Link? Why not? There's an Adachi Link in P4 Golden and think Ikutsuki is a very intelligent individual with a saviour-complex and he will really help shape Minato's personality from the base into a real hero. After all, a villain is the best tool for creating a hero by mere contrast alone. And Elizabeth Link? Remember in the Answer where Igor comments on how Aigis and them were similar beings? I got that idea from there. The Forge is awesome and more will be seen of it. And the other three rooms will be revealed in time. And anyone else take notice of Minato's changing personality? I think a Wild Card would never be rooted in one personality for too long. Wielding multiple personas is essentially akin to multiple personality disorder, after all. And GRAAAAAAAGH! I love all the possible pairings so much! Even the couple you guys haven't seen yet! I. CAN'T. DECIDE!

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **You kind of helped inspire me to put in new parts to this story and so did the other reviewers. Thanks! As for a sequel, there will be one. That's not a spoiler. A spoiler would be asking who would be in it. :D

**Ouroboros: **Maxing out S-Links requires a mature and emotionally developed human in order for someone to truly understand another and fully be able to return their love. Minato is not one of those people yet. And fusions spells will be awesome. Just think about it. So... awesome.

**Anon:** It wasn't a Labrys "fight' but her reacting to the mental stimulus caused by the forced fighting of ASWs. In reality, she hates fighting others of her own kind and would gladly do anything to preserve what she most likely has recently found it is the only other one of her kind remaining. I also dislike the idea of pairing these things off in the beginning, but that is why I'm waiting till at least chapter 4 to decide on which girl will be special in Minato's heart. And if he gets a harem there will probably just be a poll to determine who gets more "screen time". And don't worry. There is no other successful way to approach a harem except slowly given everyone's personalities.

**Blackfang27**: Metis is Aigis' other personality. Labrys is from Persona 4: Arena. Your review inspired me. I forgot about Metis. Now she can fill a previously empty spot in my story :D And I, no offense to you Yukari fans out there, HATE YUKARI! Ugh, she won't even hang out with you unless your "popularity" (aka Charm, same thing really) is maxed. How shallow is that?! And then when you try to be nice to her... she's insufferable. And that was still acceptable. And then you play the Answer and she just sells the fact that she is meant to be hated. And she hates on Junpei! Gosh, I like the Chie-Yosuke interaction in P4 better...

**Yuuji Narukami:** Thank you. MinatoxMitsuru still cute... but what about all the other cute couples? Gaaagh! Don't think about the hard decisions you have to make, King!

**Twin Judge of Gemini:** MinatoxAigis I personally love... as well as others :D I got this idea recently from a picture I saw once. Mechs. Aigis being a sentient mech driven by Minato. That sounds awesome. I'm gonna have to write that as a crossover between Persona and a Mecha anime/manga or just a Persona AU and do that pairing someday. It sounds wonderful. Also, the armor is explained here. And when I first read your comment I thought it said "Pimpnato" and laughed really hard imagining that. Then I realized it was Pumpnato. Then I laughed really hard again. Thanks for the support.

**Windraider82: **Not a bad comment. I'll think I'll reply to it. :D

**The Shard of Flame Ice: **Aww, thanks. No stop it, you're making me blush. :D Your comment made me very happy. I felt as if I were a good writer. And now I'm weaving even more possible relationships with Minato. Just wait until next chapter. That should be the final pairing I have in mind unless I think up something as I'm writing it. I hope I can continue to put out quality work and live up to your guys' expectations!

**MyLifeForAiur: **...You set me as one of your favorite authors? Thank you That makes you the first. I appreciate the praise greatly. As for hero-worship Mitsuru, you don't see as much of that in this chapter mainly because we've already seen things from more her point of view so now we're going back to guessing what she's really thinking. I momentarily thought of having her call Minato Onii-chan, but that would destroy the universe from its cuteness alone.

Thank you all those who chose to follow, but don't have an account, those who who follow, but don't favorite, those who favorite but don't follow, and those who do both for supporting this fic. The question this time around is: Who or what do you think the 'M1N470' Minato's Ultimate Persona is going to be? I know, but can you guess it correctly?

**REVIEW. **Pretty pwease with Aigis on top? (Lol I didn't even get the implications of that till after I wrote it)


	4. Chapter 4: Plastic Deformation

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Plastic Deformation**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Plastic Deformation**

**A/N: I removed the Fuuka scene from the last chapter. It was the result of writing on solely willpower and Mentos. Also added in a few things. It's not necessary to read it, but... the chapter kind of makes a bit more sense now... Also, the poll is up on my profile page. It's at the top. Please vote for your fav! UPDATE: Revised this chapter.**

**NOW TO THE STORY!**

* * *

After Akihiko's and Minato's little 'spar,' which had resulted in Akihiko having swollen fists from punching the metal man, Akihiko started up a conversation with his sparring partner as they lay on the grass, tired (at least for Akihiko) after their 30 minute spar. They were alone. Mitsuru had gone on ahead. Was Minato failing as a bodyguard? No, Mitsuru was in a good mood. When she was in a good mood, Shadows seemed to die horribly a bit more easily. Minato stared up at the green moon. It was crescent.

"You know... haa... you're all right... haa... for a metal man..." Akihiko said, still panting.

"And you're all right for a man that punches away his problems. I could have sworn one of those might have hurt. You need to train harder." Akihiko seemed fired up by Minato's challenge. Akihiko smiled excitedly at his new sparring partner before standing up and stretching.

"Haa...haa... let's go another round." He said with an excited and determined expression on his face. He raised his fists to get into a boxing position.

"You're on."

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Emperor Arcana."_

Akihiko and Minato fought once more, excitedly and without Persona powers. They didn't need them. It was fun just to strength against strength, fist against fist.

Akihiko thought of his friend Shinji. Maybe he had a Persona as well? Akihiko decided to seek him out the next day and have him join if he did. Maybe it was something they had in common. It would be wonderful for them to be able to grow closer through fighting. Shinji had been a bit distant as of late. Yeah, the two of them fighting together would be wonderful.

* * *

**(One Year Later)**

* * *

It was horrible. To even say that would be a gross understatement.

It was so red. Everything was so red. Why was everything red?

Oh…

There was blood. Blood on the walls. Blood on the floor. Blood on the ceiling. Blood on shaking hands. Blood on the child. The blood was not his. No, it belonged to the corpse nearby. The corpse of the child's mother who lay not but a few feet from him.

The boy was scared, terrified, frightened, fearful, intimidated, petrified, paralyzed, horrified, aghast, shaking, trembling, crying, sobbing, wailing, screaming, shouting. He didn't know what he was. He was naught but a mass of negative emotions, broken pieces of glass that couldn't be put back together. He was like a fallen Humpty Dumpty, except there was no king with horses and men to put him back together. He was a child without a father. He was a child without a mother. If what defined a child was that they were still being raised by their parents, then the boy was no longer a child. He didn't want to grow up like this. Not through violence, not through death. He looked back to the body of his mother. He didn't know what to do. He hugged the cadaver closely, trying to remember how she died. How she was killed.

She was killed by a monster. That horse monster that had emerged from the teenager. A monster whose roar ripped asunder the flesh and bone of his home. His house had crumpled, threatening to crush everything underneath. The boy didn't know how he lived. How had this all happened?

Oh….

He had gone to the bathroom. He heard voices by the door and looked. A teenager had been yelling, screaming, and holding his head in anguish. And then it happened. That strength, that power, was inhuman, unreal. Nobody could stop it. It destroyed his house, crushing whatever lived beneath the weight of the home. That was what he thought. Until he looked up.

A hero stood.

A superhero.

The hero was holding up the creaking and groaning ceiling, his golden instrument sparkling, his long red scarf fluttering out in the wind. That's right… there was a draft. The house could shelter no longer. Maybe… could the child close the window? Where was the window? His mother would catch a cold if he left it open. Mom wouldn't want to be sick, right? Where was the window? He needed to close it for his mother. His mom always told him to keep the window closed when it was cold out. But…

Wasn't his mom dead? What was he thinking?

Where was the window?

His mom was dead.

But… shouldn't he still close the window?

Against the depressing background of his ruined home, the hero seemed to sparkle, glow even, before wings soon adorned his back. The child was in awe. Superheroes were real. This hero could save him and his mom! But… it was already too late for that. His mom was dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

Where was the window?

The boy would be all alone… but this was a hero, right? He'd fix it all and then everything would be good again. He'd stop the bad guy who destroyed the boy's house, killed the boy's mother. He'd do it. That was a hero's job, right? They were supposed to defeat… no, kill the bad guy. That's what made them a hero. The hero, still holding up the ceiling, shouted a word, one that the boy would always remember. One that Ken Amada would find himself saying whenever he needed help, or was stuck or when he just needed to escape.

"TRAFURI!" The hero shouted, his voice resounding and echoing in the remains of the house.

And then, like the stars in the wake of the rising sun, they vanished.

* * *

**Shinjiro Aragaki** joining **SEES**, the club the Kirijo Group had formed to fight Shadows with an acronym that meant the **Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad**, was a big mistake. Minato knew it was from the moment he saw him. After being around Persona users for long periods of time, and with he himself having the body of one, Minato had gotten a sense of what the strengths, weaknesses and abilities of Personae were. It was almost like a sixth sense. In his mind he organized it like a status screen one would find in an RPG; it was easier to comprehend that way. Mitsuru excelled in ice skills, much like 'Mahou Shoujo Piru-Chan', and Akihiko was excellent in lightning, a product of his boxing career and reminiscent of his lightning fast and powerful punches, no doubt. Shinji's Persona though, while it dealt in mainly physical Persona attacks, was extremely **unstable**. Sometimes he would be stronger than Minato, Akihiko, and Mitsuru combined, other times, however, he would be weaker than Ikutsuki (which was a great accomplishment).

Mitsuru and Akihiko were now in high school. Freshman year. SEES was a 'club' of the high school formed to fight Shadows. SEES had its own co-ed dorm that housed Minato, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Labrys. Occasionally they'd get a visit from Ikutsuki, who wanted to check up on them. Minato and Labrys joined the high school with the other Persona users, making sure to hide their metal while they did so. For the first month everyone thought of 'Minato Arisato' and 'Labrys Kinzoku' as the 'Albino Couple'. Spluttering and enraged, Labrys and Mitsuru silenced the rumors. Minato briefly wondered why the idea of dating him was so horrendous to those girls. Rumors about Minato and Akihiko, the only other white-haired boy on campus who had a special place in his heart for the colors of red and white, also were created at one point.

Minato and Akihiko silenced them.

Then they found Shinji one night while patrolling the streets. He wasn't disoriented like Akihiko claimed he was on his first Dark Hour. No, he was fighting with a stop sign that had been literally ripped out of the ground! Shinji had easily smashed and destroyed half the Shadows on his own. Destruction of public property was already a reason not to trust him, but Minato found other things off about Shinji.

His summoning of his Persona seemed **wrong**. It came out painfully and slowly in regards to the quick and painless summoning the rest of the group (save Labrys, of course, though her physical attacks alone were on par with a Persona). The group had ventured into Tartarus several times now, but they couldn't make it past the first floor for some odd reason. Shinji often stayed till the very last minute of the Dark Hour, killing Shadows with reckless abandon. Akihiko thought of him as a brother, however, and was thrilled that Shinji could fight alongside him. Mitsuru took a liking to Shinji's commitment to their cause, but despised his recklessness. He hated using his Persona and instead would run into a battle with his weapon of choice, a giant axe. It was obvious he was jealous of Labrys' axe and the ease with which she wielded it. Shinji outside of battle, however, was a cool guy that loved animals, cooking and cared deeply about his friends. However...

Minato thought Shinji should have left SEES not long after he joined.

* * *

_"Mitsuru, I have a bad feeling about this guy's Persona. He… shouldn't be here. It would be better for everyone if he left."_

_"Minato… we need all the help we can get if we want to protect more people. Heroes that travel alone get killed. It would be more dangerous to leave him alone during the Dark Hour."_

_"I am serious, Mitsuru. He… needs to be left alone. We know he has power, lots of it, but he doesn't seem able to control it. Everything about him seems… wrong. We should, at the very least, take away the Evoker. He doesn't need it. He can be physical based, like Labrys-chan. We can solve the problem of the Dark Hour without letting him use his Persona."_

_"He's neither Labrys-chan nor you. He's not an ASW. He'll need his Persona if he wishes to live. I'm sorry Minato, but I can't sentence anyone to death like that."_

* * *

Mitsuru refused to budge on the issue. She firmly believed that everyone with the Persona should pull their own weight to save as many lives as possible. If left alone, Shinji would die, is what she thought. So she gave him a room in the dorm and an **Evoker**, the device humans need to summon Personae. Both were huge mistakes. If they left him alone, he would have survived. No, he would have thrived. An Evoker? He didn't need one and would probably never had needed one to survive. Akihiko's insistence didn't help at all. Minato's pleas were ignored. Labrys sided with Minato, and would have fought to keep Shinji out if he asked her to, but that would only serve to create a rift in the group.

Minato now wished he pushed harder now to remove Shinji. He didn't hate the guy or anything. No, he respected Shinji. Shinji was a good guy (though too reckless and narrow-minded at times) and was an essential part of the team. He understood where Mitsuru was coming from, but Mitsuru didn't see things the way Minato did. She wasn't a Wild Card. She had no idea what it meant when Minato said a Persona felt wrong. Personas aren't meant to feel wrong. Maybe if Mitsuru could have understood Minato, then things would have been different.

Then the 'incident' wouldn't have happened.

They were out patrolling one day… Shinji tried to use his Persona to take out a few simple Shadows, Shadows he could have just easily cleaved in half with his axe, when it all went wrong. Shinji lost control of his Persona. Shouting, screaming, holding his head in agony, Shinji's Persona came out at its strongest, stronger than Minato and the rest of SEES combined. It roared before crushing a house like paper. A house that Minato had managed to dash toward using the inhuman agility and stamina his body had gifted him in order to save anybody inside. He was too late. A boy's mother was killed by the rampant monster.

Murdered.

Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Labrys all had to work together to subdue the berserk Shinji while Minato kept the house from falling long enough to save the kid and get him to the police. The kid himself seemed to be unable to speak. He was merely in shock, was what Minato was told. Minato was informed that it would pass. He was reminded of his parents, of that haunting scene he was forced to experience. How he'd promised that nobody would feel his pain...

He hated it.

He hated himself.

Why did he fight?

Didn't he fight to stop these things from happening?

If he couldn't even stop others from losing their parents, what use was he?

Minato did the impossible the night of the incident. Something he long thought he was unable to do.

He shed a tear.

"Where is my Answer? What am I fighting for?"

* * *

Mitsuru felt sick inside. She should have listened to Minato, she knew that, but could she have really sent Shinji off to almost certain death? Not like it made a difference now. Shinji left SEES after the 'incident'. Was it really useless to have even asked him to join in the first place? He became a part of the 'family' quickly and left just as abruptly.

Mitsuru had remained stone-faced when the cops told her a boy was orphaned.

She remained stone-faced when Shinji said his final goodbyes.

She remained stone-faced when Minato, her heroic, powerful icon that could do no wrong and a figure she had to apologize to, walked away, looking as if he'd just lost _his_ parent.

She remained stone-faced when Akihiko punched a wall in frustration until his knuckles were nearly worn down to the bone.

She remained stone-faced when Labrys vanished, alone.

But now, in her room, the dam broke and emotions came gushing out. Her wracking sobs were muffled by her pillow.

They were meant to protect. What if the rest of them lost control of their Persona? They had been naïve, thinking that they could fight with monsters without any mistakes. That it would be _easy_ of all things. Mitsuru knew they had to take their job seriously. They couldn't allow another child to be orphaned. It was their duty! It was why they started SEES! To protect everyone! But still...

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

* * *

Akihiko nearly lost his brother. He had insisted on Shinji joining, but in the end… it almost turned out like Miki. If they hadn't managed to beat some sense into Shinji, who knew what would have happened? It was a close call.

And then there was that kid… he lost someone important to him too. Shinji was gone. Sure, they'd keep in contact, but the old Shinji was gone. He had died with the boy's mother. Shinji used to be… joyful. He had assimilated himself into SEES really easily. However, there was now a nearly impossible to close rift between them. The guilt was too strong.

Could Akihiko truly never be able to be with those he considered siblings?

"Miki... Shinji... DAMN IT ALL!"

Akihiko cast Dia, a healing spell of his Persona Polydeuces, on his fists. Then he began to pound the punching bag in his room. He punched fast, strong, like lightning. It was not enough. Faster, stronger, faster, stronger, faster, stronger! He needed to be faster and stronger, fast and strong enough to stop himself from losing anybody. He needed to punch in order to destroy, annihilate, pulverize all his feelings. He was unsuccessful in this endeavor. He collapsed in exhaustion against the bag, hugging it as if it were his only friend left in the world.

"Why... Miki... Shinji? Why is it always us?"

* * *

Labrys… hated killing and violence. She couldn't stomach the killing that took place. She'd killed her sisters, her own kind, yes, and that caused a deep trauma, but, in her days with Minato, she had forgotten it. She had forgotten killing. She had forgotten that humans bleed.

She left quietly and quickly. She'd force the visions away by herself. She couldn't possibly burden Minato so. The thought that he might be hurting just as bad, or even worse, never crossed her mind. She looked up at the stars from where she sat on the roof of the dorm where she lived. They were so bright, so full of life, yet they were so far away and light traveled not fast enough to tell mankind exactly when a star died. Half the stars in the sky could no longer exist and mankind would not know for hundreds or thousands of years. Stars died, but no one knew until it was too late.

No one knew when the stars died. Nobody cared. The world would move on without them, unaffected by the death of a star. The world moved on whenever anybody died.

Why couldn't she be like the world?

"Why does death follow us? Are we ASWs destined to be surrounded by killing? Are we unable to ever find peace?"

* * *

**2 Years Later**

* * *

Aigis was alone on a train, her favorite red headphones playing soothing music in her ears. She was finally going back to Port Island. She was told she lived there long ago. She hoped that she could find her answers. She hoped she could find out if the dreams were truly real. Those white haired boys... it was the last dream she'd had of the green world. Of course, that didn't mean it was the last she saw of it. When she was 10 she stayed up late, hoping to catch Santa Claus. When the clock struck 12, the world became exactly like her dreams. What did this mean? She had no idea, but she was planning to find out.

"Now arriving at the final stop, Tastumi Port Island, Iwatodai Station. Please gather your belongings and prepare to exit. Thank you, and have a nice day."

The doors opened. Aigis looked at the time at her phone and sighed. It was 11:59. One minute until the world changed. She knew electronics would not work in this world. She paused her music, which had been the song "Living with Determination" and picked up her suitcase. It was really more of a dufflebag. Aigis was not like the other girls who loved clothes, shopping and makeup.

She found she would often stare off into space, thinking about all sorts of topics, asking 'Why?' to everything. She wasn't exactly the most intellectual of her class, for she just absorbed the knowledge easily and regurgitated it when necessary, but she felt she asked the questions everyone else needed to ask.

Needless to say, she didn't have very many friends. She was different and she knew it. Her hair was too light, her eyes too blue. She looked like a foreigner. Or a delinquent. It was sad how many people made that mistake in her life. She would often get the short end of the stick in situations. She didn't even have a permanent family. She was always moved around; she never knew why. She was told her parents were dead. Told because she had no memory of her childhood before the age of 7. No memory of her family. She didn't want much. She just wished she knew her point of origin. She wished to know where she came from, who she came from. Was that so bad?

12:00.

The world turned green, people became coffins, and water became blood. She was used to it. She paid no mind to the now desolate city littered with coffins as she walked towards her new dorm. She had memorized the location of it fairly well. It wasn't any harder to remember than the alphabet for her. If Aigis had one thing that she was proud of, it was her impeccable memory. It took her a few minutes to reach the dorm from the station.

It was a grand looking building, in her opinion. This was where she would live, make friends, and have fun. It was the start of a brand new adventure, brand new Journey for her. She had to try not to mess it up and make everyone dislike her or, even worse, apathetic towards her. When people didn't so much as care about you, it hurt more than if they hated you.

She opened the door. It was pitch black. The sound of small feet pattering across the floor echoed throughout the area as the door slammed behind her. This was creepy. _'Is this place... haunted?' _Thought Aigis, mildly interested in the idea of living in a haunted dorm. The darkness, though, was suffocating, all encompassing. The very air seemed to smell of death. It seemed to be missing something. This dorm was missing something crucial, something every place should have. Aigis had no idea what it was though.

"Tee hee. Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee. Onee-chaaan..."

Aigis felt shivers up her spine. She had heard the echoes of a child's laughter and just barely managed to make out the sounds of the word 'Onee-chan' before light managed to find its way in and illuminate a counter off to the side. Sitting on the wooden counter was a little girl holding a long roll of parchment, swinging her legs against the counter with a loud thunk each time. She wore a black and white striped prisoner outfit. Her feet and hands were covered in some sort of black metal. Her hair was long and black, flowing out behind her like an ever present shadow, a hairpin in the shape of a red butterfly stood out against the darkness. Her face was childish and innocent, but it had the paleness of one who hadn't seen the sunlight for the entirety of its existence. It was unnatural and eerie, but it wasn't the strangest aspect of the girl. Her eyes were blood red, like rubies coated in the blood of the nobles who coveted them, killed for them. To put it simply, the girl was... strange, otherworldly.

Terrifying.

"Onee-chan, before you go any further you have to sign the contract. Don't worry, it only says you'll take responsibility for your actions. You _have_ to sign it." The girl said in a cheery voice, thrusting the "contract" at Aigis' face.

Aigis had the parchment shoved at her. She read it to confirm that it truly said what she had been told it did. It did indeed, but why did she have to sign it? Was there a rule? Was this just some release form or odd prank of sorts? Aigis didn't know. The girl handed Aigis a blue pen, one that seemed so full of... life.

Life.

That was what this scene was missing. It felt... dead. Cold, dead and… lonely. Aigis took the only option presented to her. After all, how hard could it be for her to sign something that only stated something she was already planning on doing?

Aigis signed her full name.

_'Aigis Kubomi'_

The little girl's smile brightened considerably as the darkness which had been previously there evaporated as if it had never been there in the first place. There was light finally. She jumped off the counter and started to walk away.

"Who are you?" Aigis asked, intent on finding out who this mysterious little girl was. The girl turned, still smiling brightly, like a Cheshire Cat.

"Onee-chan, you should be asking yourself that question. Are you Zeus? Or are you Athena? Who knows? I leave you with a bit of advice. No one can escape time. It delivers us all to the same end. You can't cover your eyes and plug your ears, Onee-chan. So deal with it when the time comes, right, Onee-chan?" With that the girl mysteriously disappeared leaving Aigis alone. Then a voice called out.

"Who's there?"

* * *

**OMAKE: Hold on! Wait a second!**

Aigis opened the door to the dorm, expecting some sort of mysterious encounter. What she found was...

"Shut the door! I'm not ready yet!"

On the tips of her toes was a young girl with black hair. She was trying her hardest to reach the light switch.

"Who are you?" Aigis asked, growing more and more curious of this scene.

"No, no, no! You're not supposed to ask that yet! You're ruining my plan! Shut the door, Onee-chan!"

Aigis did as requested. She heard a crash. She opened the door again.

"Do you need any help?" She asked. The little girl had fallen on her butt and was now standing, nursing her wounded posterior. Tear's filled the young girl's eyes.

"No, Onee-chan! I promised myself I'd do this! Just close the door and count to," she counted on her fingers as she wiped away her tears and sniffled," 5! Then I should be ready!" Aigis closed the door and began to count.

"1." The sound of feet slapping against the floor was heard.

"2." The sound of a chair being dragged across the floor was heard.

"3." The sound of someone climbing the stool was heard.

"4." The sound of the something crashing to the floor was heard.

"5." The sound of a girl crying and then...

"ONEEEEEEEE-CHAAAAAAAAAN!"

Aigis sighed and opened the door. She finally gets her scene and this is what she has to deal with?

* * *

A/N: A shorter chapter than usual... so I included an Omake, a short non-canon story. As for the chapter, it really is a bit more transitional. I also skimped a bit on Shinji because we'll see more of him later and can go in more detail there. ALSO! Who is that 'Mysterious Girl'? I'm sure you all know... she'll be replacing Pharos and Ryouji, so expect to see more of her. And Zeus and Athena... look up the myth involving Athena's birth. Or don't. Glad to see none of you guessed the Ultimate because then I would have had to ignore you :D And I don't want to do that. Also, Aigis signed a contract... what does that mean? XD UPDATE: I revised this shiznet. Now onto chapter 5.

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **They are all anime fans! Akihiko likes History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi and things of that sort, Fuuka loves Gundam and all mechas, Ken loves Superhero anime and manga, Junpei loves stuff along the lines of High School DxD (where the perverted guy becomes a hero and gets all the girls :D)! You'll have to guess the others. As for the four rooms, the elevator is not included in it. There are four doors...

**BlackFang27: **Well, I don't consider myself a genius, but I'm pretty smart. Have you ever tried to talk to someone about the the ethics of stem cell research and the possible pros and cons about it? Imagine if they just stared at you blankly, not understanding a word. It takes someone with a brain to understand someone with a brain. And that's logical, not shallow or snobby like Yukari's requirement.

**Ouroboros:** Kohryu armor sounds awesome. I'll work it in somewhere. Lyre idea is good, and you can expect to see more of in the future. And he will only get the World Arcana Ultimate and the fight I have planned using that armor is of the most epic proportions. Mahou Shoujo Piru-chan... should be a Persona. Future Omake maybe? :D Also, I LOVE LONG REVIEWS!. So don't apologize at all.

**The Shard of Flame Ice:** Takeharu's comment... don't ignore it. Remember it. You're going in the right direction with the throwing in more than one card, but what else can you throw in...? :D And weapons are made in there as well. It is the Forge and a forge does more than just produce armor. Thanatos and Alice armor? Hell yes. And yes, he gets their weaknesses and resistances as well. And yes, I know Labrys is from the Drama CD, but it was never translated into English as far as I know. And she only technically 'appeared' in P4 Arena. And if you consider Aigis' emotionless state as a personality and the fact that multiple Personas is technically multiple-personality disorder, then just how far is she from another personality? Thta's just my personal interpretation. The other MinatoxLabrys is... not the best. I looked at it when I saw your review. And Labrys' Persona Awakening I have planned out already. I think. It's not for a while at least. And never fear! The Adachi Link Max nets you an alternate ending. And yes I've played and beaten No More Heroes. Thrice. And No More Heroes 2 twice.

**Anon:** 1: Persona is wonky. You shoot yourself in the head to summon a manifestation of your psyche to fight eldritch abominations and multiple personality disorder makes you powerful. I don't think what I wrote was too wonky, but thanks for the critque! 2: I edited his a little bit in the previous chapter. Also, you have to take into account the fact that this is Ikutsuki _10 years ago_ who doesn't have all the experience at hiding. And if Minato reported him, Ikutsuki could say he was merely testing Minato's will and loyalty. 3: Fuuka scene removed. I hated it too much. I was tired when I wrote it and when I read it the next day... I wasn't happy. Also, don't feel like a jerkwad for helping me think about these things more either! Thanks for the review!

**Yuuji Narukami: **Messiah won't fit Minato at the end. Though Messiah Telos would be sick... And rambling doesn't annoy! I like it when you guys ramble. :D

**Mr. Haziq: **Thanatos? Oh, he will get him. You'll love the link I have planned for that... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

**MyLifeForAiur: **Thanks for the critiques! I went back and ninja-edited those things. However, I'm still on the fence about the whole I art thou vs. I art thee. I'm going to ninja edit that back because I want to stick a little closer to what people recognize. Now ninja-edit! Like an Ikutsuki-ninja. OR an Aigis-ninja. Aigis-ninja is cuter so I vote that.

**Twin Judge of Gemini: **Yeah. Yukari isn't very nice. And Elizabeth is awesome. And rich, immortal, all-powerful and interesting. What does Yukari have on that?! :D

**Cconn: **I like to imagine Akihiko as the guy who will go out and PUNCH trees in their nonexistent faces when he's bored.. Would it hurt? Yes. Would it hurt him? No way... probably.

Well, that's it. THE POLL IS UP ON MY PROFILE PAGE. VOTE FOR YOUR FAV! And also...

**Question of the chapter:** For those of you who hate Yukari, YOU can influence the story! Put in your review a suitable substitute (No OCs) for her Lovers Link and her link spot will be replaced! She won't leave SEES or anything, but she'll just be a part of the Fool Link instead like the males were in the original Persona 3. So... who do you want to be the Lovers Link?

**REVIEW. **Pwetty pwease with kitty cats on top?


	5. Chapter 5: Annealing

**Chapter 5: Annealing**

**A/N: I just UPGRADED this chappie! On to the next one!**

* * *

Minato and Akihiko were in Tartarus training. The two of them were more than strong enough to face the low-level first floor monsters. Hopefully, they'd level up again. Levels. Those were the sudden jumps in strength Minato would often have. After Minato first 'leveled up', he had kept track in his head. He also got a feel for Mitsuru's and Akihiko's power, having been with them for a long time. Minato would place himself at about level 24, Mitsuru at level 18, and Akihiko, having not had his Persona for as long, at level 12. There was also Shinji, who'd left (but his power was too unstable to measure) and the new recruit, Yukari (who had just recently gotten her Persona). Shinji… had fallen in with some wrong people. He barely talked to or even acknowledged anyone save for Akihiko. His leaving affected everyone severely.

Mitsuru had become more withdrawn, tending more to use her 'Ice Queen' personality. Her Appointments were the only time in which Minato ever truly saw her smile. Not the fake smile she would often put on, but a true, genuine smile. It was that familiar routine that kept her normal. Akihiko once asked why the two always went to Mitsuru's room on Sundays. Mitsuru's blushing didn't help explain the situation at all. Minato just decided to let Akihiko form his own conclusions. It was more interesting that way. Mitsuru had apologized to Minato profusely after the incident. Minato forgave her. For such a strong-looking woman, she had lived a sheltered life and was very innocent and pure because of this. Minato knew this from the first Appointment they had. Unfortunately, Mitsuru's Social Link had not progressed at all, just like Elizabeth said. How else would they grow closer?

Akihiko had begun chasing after Shinji, adamant on getting him to come back. It was like that Naruto anime that Mitsuru and Minato sometimes watched during their Appointments. Except Shinji didn't get an evil hickey by a snake monster man and then used his eye powers for evil. Not like Shinji had eye powers or anything... it wouldn't be too far-fetched though. Anyway, Akihiko always wanted to train and kill Shadows. It was the only way he knew how to cope with everything. Minato was always happy to train. He never got tired and would often train far longer than the others. Akihiko's Social Link had progressed to 4 because of this, though Minato still did not know the reason it stopped at 4. Perhaps he needed more variety in his Social Links before he could reach the higher levels?

Labrys was not as affected by Shinji's leaving as one might think. At least, not on the surface. She stayed closer to Minato, however, and Minato felt they got closer as two ASWs, no, two friends.

* * *

_"Shinji's gone… Labrys-chan, you've been around longer than me. Have you ever felt like… you've failed? Like the original goal you set out for yourself is unreachable? Like you can't do anything to change the way this world works… powerless…" Minato said with a mournful expression on his face. It was the night after Shinji left. The green moon hung in the sky and Minato and Labrys were atop the dormitory, sitting on the roof._

_Labrys grimaced. She nodded her head, as if making up a decision, and began to speak._

_"Once there was a girl. She didn't know what her purpose was, but she was forced to fight. She was born, made to fight. She didn't mind it at first. Then she made a friend. Her friend taught her many things and they became close. Once, they found a dog. The girl began to discover something strange. She enjoyed life. She didn't want to fight, didn't want to kill. It was her goal…," Labrys trailed off, a glazed look in her eyes for but a moment before continuing," but she was forced to do something horrible when she discovered that. She had to kill her sisters. Her only family. She did it without hesitation because the girl, as much as she hated killing, wanted to live even more. Then she… was told to kill her friend. She…" Labrys stopped with a truly heart wrenching expression on her face before soldiering on, "begged the people forcing her to do it to stop. Her friend, however, knew that the girl had to fight in order to live. In order to attain power. So the girl was forced to kill her friend. She had no choice. But she never attained the power. The killing was useless. And the girl was sealed away." Labrys looked at Minato, a small yet somewhat happy smile working its way to her face. She seemed to find the strength to continue, getting bolder and bolder with every word._

_"A boy found her. The girl was scared, for he looked like her sisters, yet he also looked like her friend. The boy saved her and dragged her along with him to places previously unknown to the girl. The girl had fun, she managed to live on when she had thought it impossible. If she never been found by that boy, she would have never found any purpose in life. She realized then that failures can only lead to good things. If she wasn't sealed away, she wouldn't have met the boy. She may have been powerless, but that doesn't mean she'll stay that way. _

**_Failure is necessary sometimes_**_. It helps you learn and know that something good is on the horizon for you. Goals are called goals because they are something you have to work for. If it's something you have to protect, then you have to protect it with all your strength. If you aren't strong enough, get stronger. If that is not enough, __**borrow the strength of others**__. Individually we are limited by what's possible. __**Together, we are able to do the impossible**__." Labrys finished, a smile began to work its way to Minato's face as well, mirroring Labrys._

_"Thanks, Labrys…. How did you ever get so insightful?" Minato asked, genuinely curious. She seemed to brighten up at him dropping the honorific after such a long time. Minato was a formal person. He only dropped Shinji's honorific at Shinji's insistence. That was how Mitsuru eventually made him drop the honorific, though he seemed to slip up on occasion._

_"I… don't interact with others very often. I don't know how. The only humans I ever knew were the scientists and they weren't very social. I tend to stand-off to the side and watch. I…I learned this from watching you, Minato. You knew you could have forced Shinji out if you truly wanted, but you wanted unity. You always chased after Shinji when he went charging off because you knew that he couldn't do it alone. Whenever you get knocked down in battle, you'd stand right up, dust off your parts, and charge. _

**_You won't stay down_**_. I know you. And whenever you fall, remember that everyone is here to catch you," Labrys said, believing it completely. Although in the back of her mind she knew herself to be a hypocrite. If they were strong together, why didn't she ever try to share her burdens with Minato? Maybe it was because..._

_That look in her eyes made Minato want to believe it too._

_And somewhere, deep inside him, the metal began to soften. And Minato truly thought they had gotten closer. Her words… managed to soothe him when all others seemed pointless. _

* * *

Minato shook his head, dispelling the flashback. He'd just killed another group of Shadows. A trio of cards appeared before him, hovering in midair. This was something he had noticed ever since he first ventured into Tartarus. Sword cards gave him a weapon that appeared out of nowhere, Coin cards gave him money, Cup cards healed him and Akihiko from any damage they might have sustained, Wand cards decreased the amount of time before his next "level up" and cards with pictures gave him new Personae. Unfortunately, Minato still did not have access to the Velvet Room and had been unable to use the Forge to get new armor. He wondered how Elizabeth was. He was in a steel body that never aged, not even after 10 years. Mitsuru had grown up, as had Akihiko. The only one who stayed the same was Labrys. But what about Elizabeth...?

The ground started to shake violently beneath Minato.

"Minato, we have to get out of here! Let's cut this training short!" Akihiko was shouting and soon the two of them were heading towards the exit. The shaking never stopped. It was as if a great beast had just awoken underneath Tartarus. Minato was afraid of that metaphor. If there was such a great beast under Tartarus, then how could he fight it?

The shaking stopped.

"Akihiko, let's head back inside. I have a feeling something is different." Minato said, fully meaning it. There was a familiar warmth inside of him. He couldn't truly detect what it was, but he felt compelled to find out. Minato turned around, once more heading back into Tartarus. Akihiko shook his head in disbelief before smiling, happy his partner wasn't willing to give up and go home.

Once they were in Tartarus, Minato noticed something... off.

"Akihiko, do you see that blue door?" Minato asked, eyeing the phenomenon in the corner.

"What are you talking about? Is there something wrong with your circuitry?" Akihiko replied. Minato bristled at that. He started to find he didn't like people calling him a robot. It was a small, slight irritation, but Minato managed to suppress it. It would be something the future him would deal with. Minato didn't notice though, couldn't notice, a small event take place, something that had started since that talk that Labrys had given him.

A single strand of his hair turned blue. Although it was not noticeable, indeed no one did notice for Minato possessed such a large amount of white hair, it did happen. And, unbeknownst to Minato, this would continue.

"No... nothing is wrong. I'll be back in a second." Minato said, walking towards the door. As he neared it, it opened, as if it was waiting for him. The familiar sight and sound made him smile.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, young man. It's been some time since your last visit."

* * *

"Who's there?" A female voice called out. Aigis turned to see a brunette in a pink cardigan pointing a gun at her. _'Wait. A gun?! So much for being welcome here and making friends...'_ Aigis sighed. Why does she always seem to find herself in these strange situations? Can't she just live a normal life?

"Takeba, wait!" An older, more mature female voice called out. The owner of the voice entered. She was a girl with long, dark red hair and a figure that made Aigis slightly jealous. Slightly.

"What are you guys yelling about? Is Minato home yet?" Yet another female entered the scene. She had bluish, grey hair put up in a long ponytail and red eyes. They all wore the school uniform. _'Wasn't this a co-ed dorm?'_ Aigis thought in disbelief. The men that live here must be extremely lucky.

* * *

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you, Minato-san."

"Thanks, Elizabeth-san. You cannot believe how glad I am to see you again. I still can't believe you haven't aged a day. Why? Is there some sort of fountain of youth you're not telling me about?" Minato asked, perplexed by the girl's seemingly immortal state. Elizabeth smiled at him. It was a broad smile, like the sun. They were heading back from the Forge; they had already turned Minato's two new Persona cards into armor. Elizabeth mentioned that Minato could also fuse them, but Minato had decided against fusing them right away. He wanted their armors.

As it turned out, because the armors were made in the Forge which resided in the vast sea of Minato's soul, he could keep a nearly unlimited amount of armors on him at all times and equip them when necessary. The downside was that Elizabeth started charging him for the conversions. And then there was the fact that he had to get to the Velvet Room and bring his Personae to get new armor. The armor would "level up" as he used it and, as Minato had learned, allowed him to learn new abilities. It was a pretty sweet deal, even though paying 100,000 yen for just two armors is what some would call atrocious. Minato didn't care. He got a good amount of money by killing Shadows, ironically enough, from the Shadows themselves.

"I'm glad to see you again too, Minato-san. You've changed. You're a lot more full of... life since we last met. As for my not aging...," Elizabeth giggled, " There is no fountain of youth, though it sounds interesting. The Velvet Room is a place that transcends space and removes its inhabitants from the flow of time. It is a **neutral** area where the denizens give the guests the **possibility of success**. It is meant to '**even the playing field**' as you might say. To break that neutrality would be akin to declaring war on... certain forces. And that would be bad, but still... I can't help but feel the need to give you a little extra assistance. How odd. I don't understand it..." Elizabeth trailed off as a conflicted expression crossed her face. She placed her hand underneath her chin, apparently in deep thought.

The boat they were in collided with the beach, stopping Elizabeth's deep thinking. Minato bowed politely to Elizabeth, leaving her to her own thoughts as he headed towards the door. Elizabeth called out one last thing as he left.

"Minato-san! I almost forgot to tell you! There are **two Wild Cards** on this Journey! Work together!"

* * *

The Dark Hour was nearly over when he returned and Akihiko questioned why he was spacing out in the corner. His reply?

"Why not?" Akihiko was confused. Minato was too, as what he had said made absolutely no sense, but it worked. _'Two Wild Cards? Who is the other?' _Minato was truly curious. What would it mean if he had to share Social Links? Could he even do that?

* * *

Aigis was lead to her room on the third floor, the girl's floor. She thanked Yukari for escorting her and opened her door. Her room was bland. She kind of liked it. She didn't need anything fancy. She was a girl of simple tastes. A bed, desk, mirror, computer, and television were good enough. Perhaps even too good. Aigis sighed as she fell back-first onto her bed. _'That girl had a gun. Not that I don't understand, but still. Were they expecting an attacker? And that little girl... what did she mean about Zeus and Athena? I'm glad I didn't mention her. They would think I'm crazy and... I don't want to be isolated again.' _Aigis thought. Those girls were strange to Aigis. Beautiful and... unique. Against a crowd of a million people, Aigis felt she could pick them out easily. Their names were Yukari Takeba, the one who pointed a gun at her, Mitsuru Kirijo, the voluptuous older girl with red hair, and Labrys Kinzoku, the girl who asked about the boy. Aigis would remember those names. The names of the first people she met on her Journey.

Aigis closed her eyes, and fell asleep. In her uniform. She didn't really care.

It was a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**April 7th, 2009. The next day.**

* * *

A knock on the door awoke Aigis.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?" Yukari's muffled voice came through the door. Aigis closed her eyes again. _'I need sleeeeeeep...'_ Aigis thought as she drifted off again.

The knock came louder.

"Hello! Please answer the door, or I'll get in trouble!" Yukari sounded a bit more panicked. Aigis decided it was best not to ignore her. She walked over to the door and opened it. Yukari was standing there, looking as if she'd spent the morning getting ready for hours. Her makeup was perfect and so was her outfit. In contrast, Aigis looked like she just rolled out of bed. Which she did. She didn't care.

"A-are you ready to go? Mitsuru-senpai asked me to wake you up. We have to go soon." Asked Yukari, apparently surprised by Aigis' bed head and wrinkled clothes. Aigis nodded dumbly, yawning as she did so.

"Okay, let's head downstairs. Your other 'escort' is waiting for you." Yukari stated as she started to head towards the stairs. Aigis followed suit, still have asleep. Yukari may have said something to Aigis while they were walking, but Aigis was too focused on not falling asleep on the spot. Let it be known to the world that Aigis is not a morning person.

When they reached the bottom, Aigis was greeted by the sight of a white-haired boy wearing a red scarf and the school uniform. He waved at her. Aigis' jaw dropped.

"So, you're the new girl? It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Minato Arisato. What's yours?" He asked politely.

* * *

"**Aigis Kubomi**." She replied, looking stunned at the sight of him. Minato was used to that expression. It was usually followed by a "Please go out with me!" or "What the **** is wrong with your hair!" or even sometimes 'Why are you wearing a scarf?! It's _hot_ out today!" Minato honestly hoped it wasn't any of those. It was tiring when there wasn't any variation (and quite frankly he loved his **red** scarf). He examined the girl, Aigis, further. She looked as if she had just rolled out of bed, which she probably did. She was like the Anti-Yukari. Aigis apparently just woke up and didn't spend _hours_ trying to get her makeup perfect. Not even Mitsuru spent that much time getting ready. Minato knew. Who the hell do you think has had to wait for her for the past 10 years?

"D-do I know you?" Aigis asked, apparently fearful of the answer. Minato shook his head. The girl seemed slightly familiar, but he couldn't think of anything beyond that. Aigis sighed in relief, seemingly glad that he didn't know her. _'Should I take offense to that?'_ Minato silently mused.

"We should get going. We don't want to be late. Mitsuru-san _definitely_ wouldn't like that." Minato said, trying to put enough of a warning tone in his voice to scare her. It was hard to be scared of the girl who had yelled 'GO PIRU-CHAN!' in her pajamas just two days earlier, but it seemed to do the trick. Aigis and Yukari left with Minato quickly.

* * *

Aigis was on a train. With a boy who looked exactly like the one from her dreams. How was she to broach the subject? Saying, "Hi, I had dreams about you as a child," sounds way too creepy. If somebody told her that, Aigis would definitely stop hanging out with that person. What kind of social mess would tell somebody else they have dreams about them? Aigis sighed. She had been doing that a lot lately.

"So... Yukari Takeba. How's school going?" Minato asked, apparently uncomfortable by the silence between the trio. Yukari looked at him and smiled.

"It's going well, Senpai." Yukari said. And then the awkward silence. Aigis thought school would be a lot more fun than this. She was a bit disappointed.

"You can just _feel_ the sexual tension!" A guy's voice rang out on the train. Yukari blushed before turning her head back and yelling, "SHUT UP STU-PEI!"

Minato seemed to smile a bit at that.

Aigis did too.

* * *

They arrived at school on time. It was a grand school, humongous even. The floor was checkered, the hallways wide, and the people plentiful. Minato went off to his class with the crowd of upperclassmen. Aigis had to go to the Faculty Office to get her homeroom location. She opened the door. It was filled with teachers' individual desks and sitting at one was a woman with brown hair sitting down, reading what appeared to be a portfolio. The woman looked to Aigis and motioned her to sit down as she began to speak.

"Aigis Kubomi, correct? My, my... you truly do look foreign. 11th grade...you lived in a lot of different places and in 1999... that was ten years ago... your parents.. Oh!", The woman gasped, "I'm so sorry... I didn't have time to read this beforehand. My name is Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition."

"Nice to meet you. And... don't be sorry. I don't even remember my parents anyway," Aigis responded, as if it was something that happened to somebody else. Ms. Toriumi looked heartbroken at the way she said it and embraced the girl before quickly breaking it off. Aigis was shocked.

"I'm sorry, but you looked like you needed it," She said with a smile before taking out a piece of paper," You're in my homeroom, but we need to get to the auditorium first. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." Ms. Toriumi spoke as she started to exit the Faculty Office. Aigis followed, dumbfounded. _'Is this what it feels like... to have been hugged?'_ Aigis thought as a small seed of joy was planted in her. She followed Ms. Toriumi, a small smile on her face.

* * *

The Principal was droning on about the "usual stuff" and Aigis had promptly tuned him out. She felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned around to face a bland looking student. If he were to be classified as anything, Aigis would classify him as a "background character".

"Hey, you came to school with Yukari-san and Minato today, right? Are you, like, in a relationship with Minato?" The unimportant person asked. Aigis didn't quite know how to react to that question. Were all students this... rude?

"Dude, she's not answering! You know what that means right?" Another unimportant person sitting next to him said excitedly.

'The 'Pimpnato' strikes again!" They said simultaneously, laughing as they did so.

"Shh, be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Ms. Toriumi scolded the boys. Aigis felt confused.

...Who was this 'Pimpnato'?

* * *

Aigis was sitting at her desk, about to stand, when a guy in a baseball cap walked over to her. He was completely different than the boys from earlier. He stood out in the crowd... whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be seen.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid... So I wanted to say, "hey." ...See what a nice guy I am!" He said, apparently proud.

"I'm Aigis Kubomi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Aigis said as she stood bowed to Junpei slightly, greeting him. Junpei seemed to grow a little bit redder. Was he sick?

"U-um, yeah. Nice to meet ya... again. So do you li-" He was interrupted by another voice.

"Would you stop hitting on the new kid? She just got here after all." Yukari said in an exasperated voice. Apparently she dealt with Junpei and these types of situations before. Aigis took note of the scene beginning to develop with mild interest. Could she go home soon? She had homework...

"Ah, Yuka-tan! I was just being friendly. Are you jealous?" Junpei said with a smirk. He reply was a sharp rap to the head and a muttering of the word "Stu-pei". Again, Aigis just wanted to get home. She walked out of the quickly developing comedy scene.

* * *

Minato sighed. It happened again. Minato didn't want to brag, but he was the captain of the Kendo team and fairly popular. He and Akihiko often had to jump out of windows to escape the fangirls. It only got worse when one student coined that idiotic nickname.

The 'Pimpnato'.

Minato was not a pimp. He just walked to school with two beautiful girls... and one of them was the new transfer student... and he was the only one close to 'Ice Queen' Mitsuru... damn. It made sense why he got that nickname when he looked at it that way. He couldn't go through the hallway without either being high-fived or feeling glares on the back of his head. And then there were the glomps. _'Damn fangirls...'_

Needless to say, Minato was not in a good mood. He never cursed. Cursing in his mind meant he was pissed, if that was any indication. Mitsuru didn't wait up for him either. How was he supposed to guard her if she always ran on ahead? Minato continued walking through the halls. As he was leaving the school, he felt the presence of someone walking next to him. He turned his head. It was Aigis, the new girl. He hadn't heard much about her. All he knew was that she couldn't remember her parents death or anything before it. Mitsuru had told him that much. Minato wasn't feeling very talkative, so the two headed back in silence.

Neither party was bothered by it.

* * *

Upon arriving at the dorm lounge, Aigis yawned. Minato figured she was tired. His guess was confirmed when she headed straight upstairs as Mitsuru greeted them. Akihiko was walking towards the door. He turned to Minato.

"Practice?" He asked with a glint in his eye, the single word containing all it needed to.

"This isn't a game, guys. More and more people are coming down with **Apathy Syndrome**. **They **are on the rise again." Mitsuru stopped them from her spot on the couch. Minato nodded. Apathy Syndrome was when a person became a walking 'vegetable' with no discernible cause. They would become soulless husks, often wandering the streets. Shadows were the obvious factor. They were more active now than ever before.

"Don't worry. Alone, Akihiko couldn't do it, but I'm with him." Minato said with confidence. Mitsuru smiled and turned her attention back to her book, silently giving her approval. _'She really has faith in me...'_ Minato thought as he pulled out his lyre, transforming it into its newest form. An exact replica of Akihiko's gloves. It was going to be a fist fight. The white-haired duo left.

"Minato, how do you do that?" Akihiko asked in disbelief as how easily Minato got Mitsuru's approval.

"Because... I'm stronger than you?" Akihiko took Minato's words as a challenge and smiled as he charged off into the cold night air. The world turned green. Minato grinned as he chased after Akihiko, intent on beating the other boy at whatever challenge he had planned. Minato always won.

* * *

**April 8th, 2009**

* * *

School is boring and unnecessary.

It took him a while to reach this conclusion, but Minato eventually reached it. He was a Persona user and already had a job as Mitsuru's bodyguard. He found the material taught in school to be mostly busywork. He didn't need it to 'become a functioning part of modern society'. Persona powers excluded him from that... And he was also made of metal... Why was he doing school again? Takeharu had insisted he do it to protect Mitsuru better, but Mitsuru would not stay still and be protected. Minato found it was easy to give up on achieving that impossible dream.

It was evening and Minato had just arrived at the dorm lounge. Seated there was a face that eluded him over the years. Ikutsuki. Ikutsuki gave Minato the same look he used to, questioning if he had found his Answer. Minato nodded. Ikutsuki smiled broadly and mouthed 'We'll meet in your room later'. Minato nodded, understanding the meaning.

Minato turned and nearly ran into Labrys. He had not seen a lot of her recently. She wasn't very social. When she had originally stuck to her policy of staying close to Minato, rumors had been started. Now she tried to distance herself from him, trying to prevent any future rumors. Often, she would hang out with Mitsuru. Minato had nearly forgotten she was also Mitsuru's bodyguard. Labrys didn't act like it all... but Mitsuru was still alive, so something must be working.

"Hello, Labrys. How was school?' Minato asked her. She was smaller than him and had to look up to smile at him.

"Okay. Mr. Edogawa is the best substitute. He teaches us useful things. He seems **familiar**, too. You ever get that feeling? That he's familiar?" Labrys asked Minato. Minato shook his head. Labrys frowned, apparently deep in thought. She walked off, trying to guess how he was familiar.

Minato sighed and walked up to his room. Ikutsuki started talking, apparently to the new girl, Aigis.

* * *

About 10 minutes later, there was a knock on Minato's door. Minato opened it to reveal Ikutsuki, who then slammed a familiar black round disk on the wall. Minato knew about the cameras already. He was a bodyguard, after all.

"Have you found your Answer?" Ikutsuki asked expectantly. He had been waiting nearly 10 years for the boy's Answer.

"Yes. A... hero was what I had claimed to be. Protecting everyone's lives even if it against their wishes. I know now that I can't do it. I can't do it alone. A single person can't claim to know what's right for everybody. You were right, of course, on that point. Yes, majority does rule, but I actually learned something in school. The majority doesn't desire only death. Why would mankind work so hard, struggle to survive, and continue to do so if it wanted to die? Why do inventors keep inventing, artists keep painting, writers continue to write if they just want to die? If mankind truly wanted to die, it would be dead," answered Minato. Ikutsuki smiled. It was a proud smile that held a bit of disbelief in it.

"That was a good Answer. Instead of denying what I had said, you turned it against me. I guess this is what they mean by a 'glass half empty' vs. a 'glass half full'. You think that mankind doesn't truly want salvation through death... you make a good point... I'll change that ideology of yours yet, Minato. If mankind doesn't want to die, why do inventors make **bombs**, artists commit **suicide**, and writers **starve**? Think about it." Ikutsuki said as he plucked the disk from the wall and left, closing the door behind him. Minato had a lot to think about. He ignored the bright flash of light that indicated he had leveled up his Social Link.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, young lady."

Aigis sighed. And to think she just wanted a normal school life with friends...

* * *

**OMAKE: The Narcissus Armor**

* * *

"It seems you have taken a liking to that particular set of armor." Igor stated as he looked at Minato. The metal man was metal no longer. He was wearing the**Narcissus Armor**, which gave him a layer of skin and the ability to touch, feel, taste, and kill many shadows. However, he only had a thin, fluttering sash keeping his… for lack of a better term, 'dangly parts' from being exposed. He was, by the urban definition, decently covered. Igor wondered how Elizabeth could ever possibly miss out on this chance to increase the Social Link between herself and Minato. So… it was just him and Minato alone. In the Velvet Room. Sash fluttering in the non-existent wind… Igor needed an escape from this awkward moment.

"As a result of your… uh… 'commitment' to such a piece of armor and wearing it not only at school, but everywhere else and managing to not be arrested, I shall give you a present." Igor finished as the elevator they were in stopped. The door opened and from it stepped in a girl with long auburn hair and red eyes. And another longer, sash fluttering in the wind.

"This is a female version of you, Minato."

The two stared at each other as their eyes widened in surprise and their mouths slowly worked up to expressions of sheer, unabated joy. Finally, they'd found themselves!

"ME!"

"ME!"

They both shouted before jumping towards each other and running out of the Velvet Room. Igor palmed his face before the true gravity of the situation hit him.

"Oh gods, I've created self-cest…"

* * *

A/N: I'ma gonna stop it here. You guys probably want an update. I was really, really, happy earlier because I had found a happy ending that lead to this series becoming a trilogy by exploiting a mythological loophole. I like mythology. Anyway, updates are going to be a bit slower in the future because I need to actually start applying for colleges, so this awesome every 2 or 3 days thing may not last long. As for Yukari, a lot of you may some good points and changed my opinion of her. I didn't really think of, or remember, the good parts of Yukari that much. I'm probably going to keep her around and be a lot less harsh towards her, but one person had an awesome idea for a Social Link that I might put into Lovers. I'm just really not certain of Yukari is compatible with a metal Minato slink-wise. Now onto the best part!

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **I considered Rise... but leveling up her link would be a pain in the butt. The teacher would be just... idk. The Devil Link from P4 made me lol though. Thx for that. :D

**Vampuric Spider: **Love that you like it! I hope you continue you to do so. :D

**The Shard of Flame Ice:** I answered yours in a PM. I had a lot to say. Love the giant review though. Gave me a lot to think about and it made me happy :D

**Altima: **Grammatically, it is thee. You made a good point though, people need that recognizable chant, so I changed it back. =D

**Guest: **...Yukiko? Rio? Nice.

**BlackFang27: **I think you misread something there, buddy. I wasn't asking who to pair up Yukari with... though we all know she's jealous of Chidori and her relationship with Junpei :D Metis? Yes... I thought everyone would get it right away. The hair, eyes, and red butterfly hairpin were big clues. Also the Onee-chan... and then her Zeus/Athena line makes mythological sense. And, in case this chapter doesn't clear it up, Aigis is a Wild Card. I'd say Fools, but that doesn't truly accurately describe them in my opinion.

**Guest:**... the poll is on my profile page, y'know?

**Ouroboros:** Minato interfering with Shinji... would have set this up to make Minato God-Like. He's not God-Like in this fic, he just has a head start and a few other advantages, he definitely has his flaws though. Death was sealed in Aigis. I hope you were kidding about that. Remember the first chapter? When Death changed who it was sealed in? Aigis is a Wild Card, hoped this chapter cleared that up. I'm thinking of keeping her. Might put up a poll... have a while until Yakushima. Ultimate World will make so much sense you might cry a bit. Ultimate Persona in general will also be awesome. As for my updating, it will be, sadly, a bit slower in the future. I'm going to try to not be an author that waits a month to update his story, though. Hephaestus, though, hmm...

**MyLifeforAiur: **Believe it or not, the bad errors were the fault of my little brother saying in the background while I'm typing, "Can I get on the computer now?" non-stop. I can't use my laptop because it sucks, badly, either. I went back and fixed some of the worse errors. I'll probably do more in the future.

**omega-24:** ... there's a poll. On my profile page. Y'know the one I keep mentioning? Express your suppressed Labrys fantasies through the vote button. :D I'm just kidding if that sounded mean. I love all my reviewers! :D

**Anon:** 1. Understandable. 2. He has a savior complex. He is actually just reaaally misguided. I fixed his speech a bit more since then. 3. You're welcome. 4. Nice Idea. 1a: Yep. 2a: Aigis is back with an extra Aigis-y chapter. Thx for helping me think more!

**Yuuji Narukami:**


	6. Chapter 6: Awakening

**Chapter 6: Awakening**

* * *

Minato had decided to go to Tartarus after his chat with Ikutsuki. Alone. He always was ready to go to Tartarus because he wasn't like his comrades. He never got tired, he never needed sleep. He was more machine than man… _'That thought doesn't feel right. Am I truly more machine than I am man?'_ Minato thought before dispelling the thoughts to focus on entering Tartarus. The tower was so tall. It reminded Minato of something he learned in school. It had been when Mr. Edogawa had taught, but still. It reminded Minato of the Tower of Babel. When humans tried to build a tower to heaven, but failed. God had intervened and divided the people by making them speak different languages. Heaven is not something that you can simply build a tower to enter. _'So… where is Tartarus supposed to go to?'_ Minato asked himself.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by the familiar stairs and floor. And the blue door. He decided to ignore it and go straight to testing out his new armors he had recently obtained. He grinned at the thought of what he could now do. He walked up the stairs and pulled out his lyre. He began to strum a simple yet joyous tune. He had decided to learn to play it himself in his free time. It was a secret activity. He had thought of the knowledge transfer Orpheus was capable of, but he felt that he needed to be able to do it himself. Every individual needs some semblance of independence, after all.

Minato continued to walk.

"APSARAS!"

His skin, hair, and the limbs turned a light blue while his torso turned white. He wore a blue belt around his waist, one that looked to be woven in a pattern that formed raindrops. On his head sat a silver crown with a blue gem in the shape of a water drop set in it. His scarf turned to translucent. His body became thinner, more flexible, like the body of a dancer. Overall, he felt he looked cool.

He entered the area where the Shadows sat in wait. Minato had been able to detect this Persona's powers easily, a gift he assumed could be attributed to Orpheus. Minato smiled. He always wanted to do this since that first day of combat practice.

"BUFU!" Ice shot out from underneath him, launching him high into the air. He twisted his body mid-flight and was soon looking down at the Shadows as he was rising. He was beginning to quickly approach the ceiling. Minato smirked. The second part would be the best part.

"BUFU!" Ice shot out of the ceiling in a column. Minato's feet touched the platform before kicking off it with enough strength to shatter it. And then he was gone.

Like a bullet, he sped towards the Shadows, aided by the downward acceleration of the Bufu spell and gravity. Bright light consumed his lyre as he shot towards the enemy. His lyre was now in the shape of a golden stop sign. _'Thank you, Shinji.'_ Minato grinned, silently thanking the man strong enough to rip out the weapon and allow him to copy it. Lots of Shadows were going to die.

Why?

Minato had new armor. Ikutsuki's opposition and destruction of something that Minato had put a lot of thought into was aggravating. Shadows caused Apathy Syndrome, of that he was certain. The less there were, the better people would become. Those were his reasons, but… it was mostly the first two reasons.

"ANGEL!" Light swallowed him, quickly revealing his new armor. Wings as white as snow sprung out of his back as his armor turned to black. He had a choker in place of his scarf that had a long chain extending from it. His hair had turned gold and a black blindfold formed over his eyes. However, he did not need to see. It was as if all his senses were sharper. He knew where all the Shadows were. _'This must be what Mitsuru feels using her Persona.'_ Minato felt like his Persona was a combat-sensor type, much like Mitsuru's.

Minato used his wings to adjust his descent to fly straight through the Shadows, swinging the stop sign quickly as he did so. He landed a few feet away from the large group of Shadows as he heard the sound of the Shadows being vaporized, a sign of their death. Minato heard the roars of more Shadows coming at him from his right. One was in the shape of a table. Minato smiled. He grabbed the chain extending from his choker and flung it at the Shadow, essentially capturing it as the chain wrapped around one of its legs. He turned the stop sign back to his lyre and put on his back. He was going to need two hands for this.

He pulled on the chain and began to swing it around, using it as a very large flail. He swung it clock-wise and the table Shadow flew straight through all the encroaching Shadows. Minato kept swinging the table monster in a circle of death until it died and evaporated. The Shadows roared as they all began to close in on him.

"Garu." It was a wind spell. He did not send towards his foes, however. No, he sent it towards his own wings, propelling him towards his foes as his lyre now took the shape of a short sword. Minato didn't need anything else to kill all these Shadows.

He wasn't captain of the kendo team for nothing.

* * *

Many slaughtered Shadows later, the Shadows stopped coming. Minato was surprised. This never happened before. It was eerily silent, like a horror movie before a jump scare. Perhaps he had stayed too long?

Chains were rattling.

Minato heard them easily, clearly. He knew that the sound of chains were supposed to elicit fear. They were meant to foretell something bad. Imprisonment, violence, death. Minato would have felt scared… but right then he was just a machine. Annihilating Shadows was his job. The Orpheus armor was equipped at this time, the armor that made him solid, unfeeling steel. He would be safe. It was only the first floor. Nothing could even hope to harm him on the first floor.

Chains were getting closer.

Perhaps he shouldn't stay and attempt to fight whatever this being was? He had no information on anything that used chains, save for his Persona Angel. He doubted there would be another Wild Card just randomly training without his knowing. Mitsuru should be with him. Angel's sensor ability was rather weak. He didn't dare turn into that armor; it was too weak.

Chains were getting closer still.

It would be logical to run away from this entity. A tactical retreat. It could be far more powerful than Minato.

Chains had arrived.

Floating in mid-air was a being wielded two long-barrel revolvers. Its face was shrouded in bandages, with only one ominous yellow eye with which to view its surroundings, to spot its prey. It wore two long steel chains each across its left and right shoulders, forming a cross. It seemed to exert a pressure into the air, its pure power surrounding and trapping Minato. It felt like death. Minato forced all his energy into his limbs and began to run.

The gun fired, a crater appearing where Minato had just been. He continued to flee, no, it was a tactical retreat. He kept telling himself that, but it no longer calmed him. He couldn't lie to himself anymore. He was fleeing. Minato turned around a corner, looking for the exit as huge craters were appearing all around him, the booms preceding them shaking the very air. Minato equipped Pixie's armor and hopped a few inches off the ground. Once in the air, he zoomed forward as fast as he could, getting farther and farther away from the mysterious being. Was it even a Shadow? As Minato turned another corner, he narrowly dodged a humongous blast of light that destroyed the wall, the crumbling pieces staying in midair before being sucked back towards the wall. The wall was slowly repairing itself as Minato turned yet another corner.

_'Where is it?! Where's the exit?! Come on wings don't fail me now!'_ Minato's thoughts were frantic as continued to be chased by the being, somehow still able to dodge the attacks that destroyed everything around him. Either the gun wielding being was a bad shot or there was something worse going on.

It was playing with him.

That thought made Minato begin to understand something. He was feeling something he had not felt since the night his parents died 10 years ago.

Fear.

Gunshots continued to rang out, this time they were laced with elemental attacks. Fire, ice, lightning, wind, darkness, and light raced towards Minato, narrowly missing him. Minato spotted the quickly approaching exit and sped towards it, excited that he was finally going to be safe.

One last shot rang out. It hit Minato square in the back, knocking him towards the exit as the light in his vision vanished, consumed by darkness.

Minato reappeared in the lobby of Tartarus.

Immobile.

* * *

**April 9th, 2009**

* * *

Mitsuru woke up. She yawned as she extended her arms and sat up. She promptly got ready. Getting ready quickly was a skill she had to perfect if she wanted to sleep in slightly later. Or not keep Minato waiting. For a metal man who never aged, he could be quite impatient. Mitsuru smiled. She hadn't been spending a lot of time with Minato lately. To be honest, she wasn't quite sure what their relationship was. He was more of a father to her than Takeharu was, for Takeharu Kirijo was always busy. Yet he couldn't be accurately described as a father, perhaps a brother? Mitsuru felt she would die of embarrassment of she started calling him big brother.

Perhaps she liked him? The very thought made red tinge her cheeks.

Mitsuru wasn't quite sure of it herself. She had never "liked" anybody before. Minato was a constant in Mitsuru's life. Mitsuru wasn't sure if she "liked" him or not, but one thing was for certain. He was hers. Her bodyguard. She could afford to be a bit selfish every now and again. Mitsuru nodded her head as she opened her door and began to walk towards the stairs. She would walk to school with him today. It seemed unfair to always escape him when it was his job to protect her. Yes, she would help Minato do his duty properly.

She headed towards Minato's room on the second floor. It was rather early. She would have to wake him up. Mitsuru suppressed a laugh. It was funny, thinking that he slept. Mitsuru often forgot Minato wasn't human. It was a common occurrence. He seemed… truly alive sometimes, as if he was just another human being. But Mitsuru knew this was false. He was an ASW. He was made, not born.

Minato's room was empty. Mitsuru had been slightly surprised by this. Perhaps he had woken himself up and was already waiting for her downstairs? Mitsuru headed to the first floor.

Minato wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. Akihiko was in the kitchen, eating a protein enriched meal. Labrys was sitting on the couch attempting to understand a teen fashion magazine. Aigis was eating a bowl of cereal slowly, her hair standing straight up. She looked like she had just woken up. Yukari was probably still getting ready.

"Have any of you seen Minato?" Mitsuru asked the group. They all shook their heads, Minato was gone. Mitsuru felt a spike of worry. He'd be at school right? He never ditched.

* * *

Minato was in the Velvet Room. He must have been called in his dreams. He didn't remember going to the blue door. When did he go to sleep? Although he never needed it, he considered sleep a luxury. It was boring being awake all night. But still, when did he sleep?

"Young man, there is **someone calling for you in the VIP Lounge**. It is the door closest to you on your right. Please, do not keep the guest waiting." Igor said. Elizabeth was gone. How odd.

"Where is Elizabeth-san?" Minato asked Igor, suspicious of the reason behind her disappearance. Igor's grin began to widen eerily.

"Looking to raise your Social Link? Do not worry. She is merely on **break**. You do not honestly think we work non-stop here, do you? Even I must take an occasional break. It is extremely rare, however, for a guest to be present when one of us is on our break, so consider yourself lucky." Igor motioned to the door, the one containing the VIP Lounge. "There are several rooms you must pass through to get to the one calling for you. The **guest is also a VIP**, such as yourself. The guest will be waiting for you at the farthest room, the one with the sealed door."

Minato nodded and went to the door on his right. He opened the door and walked in.

It was an exact replica of the Velvet Room except it was empty and hauntingly quiet. Instead of blue, purple was the color motif of the room. The air was thick with a sort of tension, something indescribable and subtle yet impossible to ignore. Minato spotted a door at the opposite side of the room. He opened it and stepped through.

It was another copy, this time green. The tension increased.

Minato saw another door and continued on. Next was an orange room. Once more, the tension increased.

Then there was a white room. Minato stumbled under the sudden pressure of the tension.

And then a violet room. Minato slowly moved forward, finding the impulse to move forward impossible to resist.

Minato opened the next door and walked in. This room was different. The tension seemed to have disappeared. It wasn't an exact replica. It wasn't an elevator, for there were solid, unmoving walls and even windows, one on each side of the room. Black velvet tapestries hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in upon a carpet that was the same material and color. The window panes were a deep blood color. The only light came from the heavy tripods, opposite from each window, that each held a brazier of fire, glaringly illuminating the room. At the couch where Igor would have sat was another being. One that had its two, long-barreled revolvers laid down upon the table. And a bandaged face.

Minato felt fear once again.

"Come, sit down. We have a few things to discuss, boy." It talked. It's voice sounded as if a multitude of people were talking at once, some male, some female. Minato did as requested (he found that refusing would most likely result in a bullet to the face) and took the seat opposite of the couch. _'This is the VIP Lounge? You got to be kidding me.'_ Minato thought incredulously. Then he turned to the being across from him. Its body language spoke volumes. It was _happy_ to see him. _'Happy to finish the job, most likely. I better find out what I can about this crazy VIP.'_ Minato tried to think calmly.

"Who are you? Why did you call me here? And how are _you_ a VIP?" Minato asked, pushing more effort into making the machine to take over, to squash down his fear. The other VIP laughed, apparently amused by Minato.

"You may call me… **The Reaper**. I called you here to congratulate you. You managed to live after facing me alone. That is a feat that very few can accomplish. And you are... **different**. By far you are the** most unique** being I've witnessed enter these halls. And you are the only other one with access to this room. May I ask why _you_ are a VIP?" The Reaper asked, an amused tone in its voice. The Reaper didn't seem so bad after all. Then Minato remembered the gunshots.

"I... don't know. This guy, Philemon, told me things happened that weren't meant to. I guess it was just a pity present." Minato stated, now realizing the confusing nature behind his becoming a VIP. Why did Philemon appear? How were things meant to have actually happened? Would it have been better if things turned out the way they were supposed to? And since when was he talking with the guy/girl/thing who nearly killed him?!

"Minato, things have **changed**. You are unique, now. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, your fate would have been sealed, but, as it is now, your story is unpredictable. **Any ending is possible**. You can now change destiny. And that is a heavy burden." The Reaper finished, a mournful tone in its voice. Wait, what?

"How do you know my name? And what do you mean 'unpredictable'? And why the hell did you shoot me?!" Minato asked as darkness began to fill his vision. Minato thought he heard the Reaper laugh before a familiar chant sounded in his skull, shaking the very marrow in his bones.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana."_

...What?

* * *

Mitsuru was beyond worried. Minato was nowhere to be found. Where could he be? He wasn't at school, or anywhere on Port Island. Mitsuru had informed Labrys and Akihiko of Mianto's status and the three of them were searching the entire island.

"Maybe he was trapped in Tartarus? Had too much fun killing Shadows that he forgot the Dark Hour was about to end?" Akihiko suggested.

"Why would he go to Tartarus alone?! We never go to Tartarus alone! That's just... idiotic and arrogant!" Mitsuru was angry. She didn't know why she was lashing out on Akihiko. She was just really tense. When a constant is removed, the equation becomes unbalanced. Minato was, apparently that constant in her life. Akihiko didn't look hurt, however. It was as if he'd been expecting it. Expecting the 'Ice Queen' to have a meltdown. Labrys backed away slowly, not wanting conflict. But she was worried. Far more worried than anyone else could ever know or even hope to guess.

"He goes there all the time, Mitsuru. Even if we're too tired to go. I caught him sneaking out one night. He made me promise not to tell you... but now's not the time to be concerned with promises."Akihiko said calmly. When dealing with Mitsuru, it never helped to get angry.

Mitsuru was shocked. Minato was an ASW. An ASW could omit the truth, but never lie. What about all those times he said he never went to Tartarus alone?

Or when he asked for a bed? ASWs don't sleep.

_'Minato... What are you?'_ Mitsuru didn't know anymore. She just knew she needed to find her bodyguard.

* * *

Aigis was sitting in the lounge, thinking. She'd had a strange dream. And then the white-haired boy, Minato, seemed to have vanished off the face of the Earth. Were the two connected? Aigis sighed loudly. She didn't want a whole confusing sub-plot with strange white-haired boys and long nosed, bug-eyed men! She just wanted a normal school life. But that wasn't possible. She wasn't a normal person. She'd figured that out long ago. Having no memory was possibly one of the worst things Aigis felt a person could go through. Any bonds she had before the age of 7 were gone. And there was something else strange she always wondered about.

If her parents were dead, how did they die? And why didn't she have any relatives? Why didn't anybody bother to tell her?

Aigis had a feeling it would be a long night.

* * *

Mitsuru and Labrys decided to return and wait. Akihiko was going to go out and continue to look for Minato. Mitsuru was very vocal about not willing to leave the search, and presented many reasonable arguments as to why she should stay, but there was only Yukari and Aigis left at the dorm. Neither could very well defend themselves against Shadows. Labrys was not willing to leave it solely up to Akihiko either, but she kept her opinion to herself, as she often tended to do. Except around Minato. ASWs had to stick together after all.

Ikutsuki wanted to spend another night in the command room 'watching over' Aigis to see if she had the Persona and not just the Potential. Mitsuru reluctantly agreed. She needed to make sure Aigis would be okay, a little privacy was a small price to pay. The thought didn't stop Mitsuru from feeling disgusted, however. Especially when Yukari voiced her own thoughts on the matter.

"But... we're treating her like a guinea pig." Yukari was obviously very uncomfortable about the whole thing. She was spying on her classmate! How would she ever face her tomorrow?!

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard she's your classmate... Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?" Ikutsuki seemed fully behind his ideas. Mitsuru felt a small amount of dislike towards Ikutsuki. He was pleasant most of the time, but when he did things like this he was eerie. It had been his idea to plant cameras and mics in every single room, after all.

"Yeah, I guess. But, still..." A beep cut off Yukari's response. Mitsuru was the first person to push the button to open up the comms channel.

"Did you find him, Akihiko?!" Yukari and Ikutsuki were surprised by the melting of the 'Ice Queen' front Mitsuru put on. Mitsuru didn't mind. She just wanted to if her bodyguard was safe. Wasn't he supposed to keep her safe?

"No... But I found something! It's huge! I don't have any time to talk... It's chasing me... I'm on my way there!" Akihiko's voice went from regretful to panicked in an instant. The transmission cut off after he said his piece.

"Prepare for battle!" Mitsuru was tired, angry, worried and over all stressed out. She was not having a good day.

She needed something to take it out on.

"R-right! Be careful!" Ikutsuki said, fearful of the huge monster that Akihiko was bringing. Yukari looked equally frightened.

* * *

Minato woke up outside of Tartarus. He was laying in the middle of the street surrounded by the coffins that indicated it was still the Dark Hour. _'How did I get here?'_ The last thing Minato remembered was being shot... then he met the Reaper. He honestly hoped he wouldn't have to face that guy again. Or girl. He didn't know the gender. The voice was layered or something. The Reaper could even be genderless. Or a girl. The thought of a female Reaper made Minato shiver.

He stood up and took stock of his surroundings. It would take him a few minutes to get back to the dorm using the Pixie armor's flight ability. Or Angel's, but Minato felt Pixie's was more suited for speed. Minato decided against using his armors. He hadn't been out long, for it was still the Dark Hour. Then he heard the roar of an outrageously large Shadow off in the distance. He equipped Pixie's armor and hopped into the air. He took off at an inhuman speed towards the dorm. However, had he not been too focused on the strange things that had occurred that night, an impossible feat indeed, he would have noticed something odd about his hair. There was a thin, blue, vertical line in his fringe.

* * *

"Wake up! Sorry, I'm coming in!" Yukari waking her up was the last thing Aigis expected. And she was armed. And the world was green as well. _'__That's right. She and the other girls weren't coffins before. Does that mean everyone here can see this world too?' _Aigis pondered as she tore off her covers. She had fallen asleep in her uniform. Again. She still didn't care. Yukari, on the other hand was frantic. She practically pulled Aigis out of bed and handed her a... machine gun? It was an AK-47. It looked to have been heavily modified though. How and why does Yukari have this?

"We need to get out of here, now! We'll go downstairs!" The girls rushed towards the stairs. The ground shook, knocking the two momentarily off balance. They continued to run, reaching the first floor before Mitsuru's voice came out of the transceiver Yukari was holding.

"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one headed your way isn't the one Akihiko saw!" Her voice brought wth it a grim declaration. They needed to run. The ground shook once more. Aigis was freaking out. _'Enemy?! What's coming?! Why are there enemies attacking?!'_

"Why can't I just have a normal life?!" It came out louder than Aigis intended it to, but she was stressed. She didn't ask for this at all! Yukari looked at her, a shocked expression on her face, before the ground shook again. The girls looked at each other and nodded before heading towards the second floor. Downstairs wasn't safe. There was only one way to go.

The two continued upwards until the reached the roof, the ground shaking the entire time. Aigis and Yukari slammed the door shut, hoping what it was that had been chasing them had ceased its fervent pursuit. _'Wait! We're on the roof with nowhere to go! Stupid! Stupid!'_ Aigis cursed her idiocy in going to a place that would trap them with no escape route. Yukari, on the other hand, looked relieved at this outcome.

"We're finally safe." Yukari said, a sigh of relief escaping her lungs. Aigis began to think that, from Yukari's confidence in their being safe, they had nothing to worry about.

They were sorely, sorely mistaken. A being made of darkness crawled onto the roof. It was a multitude of shadowy arms, writhing and flailing in excitement at having found its prey. One arm held a blue mask. It was a terrifying, disgusting abomination. It moved in a grotesque fashion, crawling towards them on its arm that extended from the bottom of the dark mass. It terrified the two girls, nearly freezing them on the spot.

"Those creatures... we call them Shadows." Yukari said, finally explaining

Then Aigis realized something. She had a machine gun. A heavily modified AK-47 was right there in her arms, begging to be used. Aigis did the only sensible thing she could do in the situation. She pulled the trigger. And held it down. Bullet after bullet tore through the abomination in front of her, causing the creature to wail in pain. She wanted the thing to die. It wasn't natural. It shouldn't exits. It _couldn't _exist. And, if Aigis had anything to say anything about it, it would soon cease to exist.

Yukari held her own pistol to her head, the wails of the Shadow and the roar of the machine gun seemingly too much for her. Aigis only noticed this right as Yukari was about to pull the trigger. Aigis turned her head, the word "STOP!" forming in her throat when yet another strange thing happened. Blue tornadoes manifested around Yukari, their power seemingly too much for her and knocking her back. Aigis saw Yukari's chest moving up and down (she was alive!) and then turned her attention back towards pumping lead into the myriad of limbs before her. The Shadow then started to move towards Aigis, the pain from the bullets unable to stop it anymore. It crawled toward her, screeching its defiance against her attack. Then something bad happened.

Click. Click. Click.

The machine gun was out of ammo.

The Shadow seemed delighted by the lack of bullets raining down upon it. Aigis threw her gun at it in order to stun it and stop its advance in order to pick up the object near her feet. It was Yukari's pistol.

"Go on, Onee-chan! Show that creep who's boss!" The strange little girl's voice excitedly pounded the inside of Aigis' skull as she saw a vision of the child bouncing up and down in excitement. Aigis lifted the gun to her right temple, finger on the trigger. _'One of us is going to die, no matter what. It didn't kill Yukari. It might kill this disgusting monster.' _Aigis concluded. She clenched her left hand into a fist to stop the shaking. She resolved to pull the trigger.

A word echoed in her mind as she pulled the trigger. A word that made her face turn into a feral smile, an expression she never did.

"Per... so... na."

The release she felt at the sound of glass shattering was akin to ecstasy. It felt... nostalgic. Like an old friend finally coming to visit.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. From the sea of the soul I come forth. My name is Palladion, Eternal Guardian of Mankind."_

A celestial figure of steel manifested overhead. It was ready to defeat the evil being before it.

Then a crack appeared in the stalwart protector. And darkness seeped through. Aigis clutched her head in anguish, screaming at the top of her lungs, the wonderful feeling from before being replaced with excruciating pain.

Then more cracks appeared.

And her screams got louder while Yukari watched paralyzed in fear... and awe.

* * *

Labrys had been absent from the horrifying scene. She had been absent since a few minutes after her and Mitsuru had returned to the dorms. She would not let Minato be left to die in Tartarus. Akihiko was weaker than Minato, weaker than her. His presence would not make a difference, Labrys knew that. She decided to take matters into her own hands. She had seen enough of her kind die, killed enough. What use was a being made to protect if it could not even protect one of its own kind? Labrys would make sure she would never see the corpse of one of her friends again. If there was one thing Labrys absolutely was, it was viciously protective of those she cared for. Anything that stopped her would face her axe.

If Minato couldn't kill it, Labrys would make sure to destroy it, whatever it was.

Labrys felt closer to Minato, strangely enough, and, though she did not realize this, the image she had of Minato in her mind began to separate from the image of #24.

Labrys was running down the street towards Tartarus when she spotted something moving toward her at an impossible speed. She recognized its colors and her face brightened greatly. She picked up her pace and held out her right hand, her left still clutching her axe. The speeding entity grabbed her hand as it continued forward, bringing her along for the ride. They continued to the dorm.

* * *

Akihiko watched the fight. Akihiko never watched fights unless it was to learn. More often than not, he did the fighting. But these were kids! Their kohai! They had to go save them!

"Wait. Watch." Ikutsuki had told them to watch the horrific scene. Akihiko clenched his fists, his knuckles turning whit beneath the gloves. Mitsuru was biting her lip, resisting the urge to go and help her underclassmen. Ikutsuki was insistent that they stay just a moment longer. Then Aigis picked up the Evoker and, without any prior instruction, summoned her Persona. Then something went wrong. The trio watched as the Persona Aigis had summoned cracked, black matter flooded out of the crack and created more cracks. The Person exploded and in its wake was a new Persona. Its face was a skull and it wore black with a cape made of coffins and a large sword in hand. Aigis was no longer in pain. The Shadow was decimated, torn to bits, ripped to shreds piece by piece at the hands and sword of the Persona. It was a gruesome battle, no, it wasn't a battle. A battle implies that each side stands an equal chance of winning.

It was a massacre.

Then the Persona vanished, turning back to its previous form before disappearing, leaving a determined Aigis to face the remains of the previous Shadow, which had created new Shadows. Then Aigis fainted, the strain of the battle, the running, and the stress finally taking over. Akihiko began to move towards the door when Mitsuru suddenly gasped and ran out the door. He turned around and on the screen was...

* * *

When Yukari learned about her Persona powers, she was ecstatic. She was special! Then she learned she had to blow her brains out first. That was a downer. She had failed to materialize a Persona when she needed to do so the most. She let Aigis do all the fighting. Now, she was going to die. She was a failure. Yukari felt the full sting of her inability to do anything even now that she has power. It would be her end. She couldn't reach the Evoker. She couldn't fight with her fists like Akihiko.

She couldn't do anything. And she would die because of it. The Shadows began to close in on her and Aigis. There was no hope.

Then, a miracle happened.

A giant axe flew out of nowhere and completely destroyed one of the Shadows. Attached to it was a familiar girl.

"Minato! Nice throw!" The girl, the usually quiet Labrys, shouted out to the air. Labrys hefted her axe over her shoulder and began to destroy the Shadows near Yukari. She dodged the swipe of one and slice its mask with a horizontal sweep of her axe, then jumped up and smashed her axe vertically into another.

The Shadows near Aigis were sliced apart by an invisible force, wind. An angel appeared. Yukari's eyes widened. Minato, the polite captain of the kendo team, was floating with angelic wings protruding from his back, his white hair now golden. He landed in front of the unconscious Aigis and his looked changed back to its original. A multitude of large fireballs shot forth from his hand towards the Shadows, annihilating them in an instant. Minato turned towards Yukari, the danger now gone and smiled.

"I'm home."

* * *

A/N: I meant to get this out sooner, honest I did. But then I lost half the chapter. So I rewrote it and made it better. :D I honestly didn't plan this chapter to turn out this way, but it did. I like it. No omake this time, unfortunately. I'll do more though if I have shorter chapter or inspiration hits me. With a sledgehammer. I'm glad that a lot of you like this, too. I'm working on a couple of future Persona crossovers in the back of my mind as well. You can expect to see those once I stop getting distracted with Garrys mod. I just got it. It's so awesome. And time consuming. Like Skyrim :D Also, it's depressing when I look at my view count in comparison to my favorites and likes. I'm nearly at 3k. So... you guys read this story 2,500 times and I read it about 400? That work?

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **Yep, Palladion. And Minato is going to be self-taught on the lyre.

**Twin Judge of Gemini:** Minato's Death Arcana slink is revealed! And the girl in Aigis' head will most likely be a social link. For who, though? And yeah, Minato's hair will eventually become blue. Or will it revert? Who knows? (I do)

**grandshadowseal:** Ryoji is awesome. He's a bro. He's got a spot in this story now, and all our hearts.

**Yuuji Narukami: **Ryoji, once again is awesome. He was Fortune in P3P, but now Labrys is fortune... Hmm. I will ponder this. Shinjiro Uchiha... crossover story maybe? :D Two Fools means twice the possibilities too, don't forget that.

**TomoyaJintanUshio: **The Death Arcana represents deep change, regeneration, and psychological transformation. Think about it. It's more than just a character the story revolves around. Look at the P4 Death Link. :D

**Guest: **It's you! The one who suggested Rio! I'm glad you like the Omake. It was when inspiration hit me. I wait until inspiration to hit me before I write an omake, so I get the best quality work. And yeah, Yukari. I'll do my best to make her likable. :D

**The Shard of Flame Ice:** I responded in a PM, this may become a regular thing at this rate. I love your long reviews. They are awesome! :D

**BlackFang27: **People keep talking about the Great Seal. I'm thinking about one of Ryoji's final lines for my ultimate ending (The ending of this story and any sequels). Can you guess which? :D Also, glad you like it!

**review provider: **You just blew my mind. Ghosts... entirely possible. Hmm. Or maybe they aren't dead at all... OMG I MIGHT HAVE A PLOT TWIST! Probably. Don't expect one though. It gets boring if you expect a plot twist. Takes the twist right out of it.

**Twinkle Ace:** From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you. I SHALL KEEP IT UP! FOR NARNIA! *King charges into battle against Shadows astride Aslan*

**Ouroboros: **I truly considered Apollo. I really did. But then I learned that Apollo is the ultimate of the P2 protag. Now that's no fun. And yeah, it is someone you know.

Well, that's all folks. But finally...

**Question of the Chapter:** Which Persona armor do YOU want to see?

Now **REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW.** Pwetty Pwease with Haremz on top?


	7. Chapter 7: New Recruits

**Chapter 7: New Recruits**

**A/N: The Shard of Flame Ice is my Beta now! Haha! Say hi, Beta!**

**The Shard of Flame Ice: ****Hullo! This is my first time being a Beta-reader, ever. I'll do my best. Please accept my generic introduction! If you have any complaints about this chapter, feel free to throw half the stick and stones my way.**

**NOW ONTO THE STORY!**

* * *

**April 10th, 2009**

* * *

Minato awoke handcuffed to his bed. Now, he would have just broken out of this and walked away by now if it weren't for the fact that Mitsuru had done this. She froze his joints. Either she really cared about him or she really didn't trust him. But the fact of the matter was simply this. She chained him up. _'__Does Mitsuru secretly have a sadist streak in her? She never seemed to show any sign of it before, but you never know.' _Minato sighed.

At first she ran to him, excited he was home, nearly on the verge of tears. Then she hugged him. There was a large hole in his back, something that was previously hidden by his wings and his own skill in not trying to worry anybody. That pissed Mitsuru off, but she couldn't find or hurt the being that took a chunk out of Minato's back. So she did the next best thing. She chained him to his bed during the night to ensure he doesn't go away to Tartarus alone anymore. After Minato's back healed. That baffled everyone, but Minato remembered that his body belonged to Orpheus, a Persona. Can a manifestation of the psyche truly be scarred by physical attacks? Minato had not known that he had been gone for an entire day. That baffled him. And he was still curious about something.

_'How did I wake up outside of Tartarus?'_

A knock came on his door. Minato hoped it was Mitsuru, come to free him at long last.

"Come in."

The person that entered was not, in fact Mitsuru, but Ikutsuki. Ikutsuki slapped a familiar disk on the wall. He sat down at the chair of Minato's desk. Ikutsuki looked at Minato, a sly gleam in his eye.

"Let's continue our previous conversation, shall we? You don't seem to be going anywhere." Ikutsuki said. Minato was happy for the company and, though he would never admit it if confronted, enjoyed the talks with Ikutsuki. Ikutsuki always seemed to broaden his perspective on life, the world, and mankind in general.

"Yes. Let us continue. You asked me why inventors make bombs, artists commit suicide, and writers starve." Minato thought back to the Reaper, the image gave him goosebumps. "Sometimes there are beings far more powerful than you. Sometimes people don't get a choice into what they are sucked into. Humans are weak. Humans rise, get arrogant, fall, and then rise again. But even in their darkest times, they still live on and still possess the ability to do good. The same inventors that made bombs also created devices that changed even more lives for the better. The artists that commit suicide live on in immortality through their works and the people they inspire, which go on to inspire even more creative thought. A single writer can change the view of a nation and influence history for the better through enlightenment. They live on in immortality through the changes they inspired, be they positive or negative. A writer may starve, but he or she had fed the people with knowledge through their work. To say humans want to die is akin to saying that those people are no longer worth remembering, that all those inspired by them and continue to live their dreams are suicidal. That is false. Perhaps some people think other people's lives are a waste, but those few don't represent the whole of mankind. It is impossible to judge what mankind truly wants without knowing the hearts of everyone that makes up mankind, but I can assure you that death is not what mankind as a whole desires." Minato finished, pleased with the expression he had evoked on Ikutsuki's face. Ikutsuki didn't know how to respond.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Devil_ _Arcana." _

Minato felt he could push even further for another rank up...

"You make good points. You are highly intelligent, Minato. Truly. But you haven't seen, experienced, witnessed the true evils of mankind. Mankind is-"

"You haven't seen all the beauty and good mankind brings to the world then. Nobody can claim to see all the evil or all the good. But isn't that what makes mankind interesting?" Minato was proud of himself. He had not seen the worst, for nobody could claim to do that. However, having lived with Mitsuru and Labrys for years had created a lot of good memories. Mitsuru's birthdays, Labrys' birthdays, the two girls attempting to cook before they needed help from Minato, Minato's birthdays, when the three of them would go out to the movie theaters (a feat only possible by Minato showing off his prowess as a bodyguard), and many more. How could anyone think mankind wanted to die when such beautiful memories existed?

"You cut me off. I approve of that. You have given me some things to think about as well. Interesting. But I will change your ideology yet. Mankind is truly interesting... Goodbye." Ikutsuki left after he ripped his disk from the wall and deposited it in his pocket, his hand underneath his chin with an expression of deep thought on his face.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Devil_ _Arcana." _

Awesome.

Minato sighed. Mitsuru would come in soon to free him for school. She'd probably still be angry...

* * *

"Let us go to school, **Arisato**."

She was.

* * *

Aigis was in the hospital after the whole catastrophe. She needed the rest. They didn't know how long she would be out, but two or three days seemed a rational guess. Mitsuru went to check up on her as soon as school ended, Akihiko followed. Minato was going to do the same, but...

"Sempai? Can I have a moment of your time?" It was Yukari. She asked him shyly out in the hallway. He nodded, seeing no reason to refuse her request. She motioned for him to follow her. A few students stared at the oddity of the two walking together, but a few mutterings of "Pimpnato" followed by laughs caused the stares to turn away. Minato vowed to kill the student who coined the word.

The two went up to the rooftop. It was empty. A gust of wind blew an empty chip bag around, the remainder of somebody's lunch. Yukari turned to Minato and began to speak.

"I just wanted to say thanks. You really saved me back there. Even if you're... a **robot**," Minato's eye twitched as she continued, "You are a good person. So thanks again, but next time I'll be able to handle it on my own! Then I won't need anyone's help." She ran off, fired up. She opened the door and slammed it shut behind her as she rushed in.

Minato sighed and turned towards the view the roof of the school gave him. It was beautiful. Nature, an unstoppable force, was conquered by man, if only temporarily. Man created large homes, shelters, monuments to their achievements. Everyone looked so small in comparison to the big world, but somehow they had managed to build such an area. The strength of the people was not something to be underestimated.

"I'm so glad **she's not a Social Link**." Minato whispered to himself as he turned from the view, heading back to the dorm to once more apologize to both Mitsuru and Labrys. And answer all the questions about his hair that was now slightly blue. Was he getting his body back piece by piece? Or was it something completely different? He'd answer their questions with the proper "I don't know." and then continue to apologize. Or else he would be chained, frozen, and wouldn't get to eat dinner. Even if it was just a luxury, it still tasted good. And Labrys, hopefully, will stop clinging to him the moment he stepped through the door. She felt he couldn't take two steps without him worrying her.

Sadly, she was right.

* * *

Minato and Akihiko were just patrolling after a long day of Minato apologizing. Minato had to sneak out. It had been dangerous, but Angel was good at gliding long distances and pumping it with Garu kept him airborne. They were out looking for any people with Potential. The sudden increase of 2 members could mean Persona-users were on the rise. There weren't many Shadows about. The ones they did encounter fled before the overwhelming strength of the two. It was good to be strong. At first they could never patrol through the town, enemies were there at every turn and they had been far more powerful than they were at the time. Minato was the first to be able to patrol. Then Akihiko started tagging along and it had become a regular thing between the two boys. This time they had was the only time they could ever truly unwind and let their burdens sag just a bit. It was relaxation time for the two of them.

"So, how is it being Mitsuru's prisoner?' Akihiko asked jokingly. Akihiko could be pretty conversational once one got to know him. He would even occasionally crack small jokes while punching Shadows. Minato thought he was just working on his one-liners for when he killed a big Shadow. Minato would never resort to one-liners. Not ever. Maybe. Minato let out an exasperated sigh.

"Please, don't bring it up. I honestly believe she would strap me to her back to stop me from going anywhere without her if she could." Akihiko laughed at the mental image of Mitsuru carrying the tall Minato on her bag like a backpack. It was pretty funny, but impossible due to Minato's sheer weight. But if he was a plushie...

Akihiko knew what to get Mitsuru for her birthday.

"Aiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeegh!"

"That sounds like a girl being attacked by a Shadow! Minato, let's go!" Akihiko moved into his 'Superhero Mode' and charged forward fists raised. Minato followed, his golden lyre still in its base form. He wanted to try something he'd been developing. He was expecting it to be effective.

The two followed the voice back to its source. It was a convenience store. Shadows were shoving against each other, eager to get to the girl trapped inside. Minato put his lyre in front of him, eager to try his new attack. He strummed a note on his lyre. It was low pitched note, like the dull roar of a bonfire. Akihiko began to sweat.

"_Burn My Dread_."

A single lyric rang out to the single note as a Shadow nearby burst into flames, flames far more powerful than any Minato could produce normally. They were flames that glowed a brilliant crimson, lighting up the Dark Hour and attracting even more Shadows, a not entirely unwanted side effect. This was Orpheus' true power. Ever since the first knowledge transfer between Orpheus and Minato, the notes for this song were there. They were hidden, it took Minato years to find them floating around in his memory and a few years more to learn to play the lyre without making it sound awful. But now Minato had nowhere near Orpheus' skill with the lyre, but he could still make a decent attack. As he mastered the lyre, he could even reach Orpheus' level, the level at which one could charm the very gods.

_[Excellent, young one. Now, continue the performance!]_

Minato happily obliged to Orpheus' voice, a thing which he had not heard in quite a while. He plucked at the lyre, sending out note after note as the Shadows burned away one by one. A dome of protective fire began to form around him, ensuring that nothing could touch him. One leapt at him, intent on maiming him, before it turned to ashes in mid-air. Even more charged at him, burning up as they did so. Some tried to fire Bufu spells at him. They spikes of ice instantly melted as soon as they began to spring up. Minato was untouchable by the beings of dread. The title and singular lyric to this song was chosen because it was originally the title to a popular song that Minato enjoyed. The original song was about breaking free and squashing down that "god of fear" and throwing "him into hell's fire".

No, the Reaper had nothing to do with this.

Seriously, Minato wasn't afraid of that extremely deadly being... right?

Akihiko looked on in awe. Minato was killing them with the power of music! Whenever one Shadow would get close, it would be instantly destroyed. Brilliant, crimson flames began to dance around Minato, protecting him from harm. Minato's song ended when the last Shadow turned to ashes. Minato fell to one knee. He checked his visual display. His SP and HP were almost both completely depleted. The move was powerful, but it nearly knocked him unconscious and he couldn't even move while using it. Shadows had to be within his range and charge at him, which they all eventually did. Smart Shadows would never get killed by it. Minato had a feeling that he would be seeing a lot of the smarter varieties of Shadows. Akihiko offered him a hand. Minato waved it a way, quickly shifting to Pixie armor to heal himself before standing back up. Akihiko raised an eyebrow.

"I still don't understand how you can change armor like that. Or do things like that song."

"I've already told you and everybody else. I've always been this way. I don't fully understand it other than this was the way I was created." Minato said with a shrug. They started to walk into the grocery store. Explaining his powers had always been fairly easy. He was, in their minds, a simple ASW. A weapon doesn't know how it was forged. His parents being dead just made the lie even more believable. He felt a tinge of guilt at using their deaths to his advantage, but one thing was true. His parents had been scientists. They had been developing highly advanced cryogenics. There had been only one successful test subject. A quick search through the nearly infinite Kirijo database had told him that much about his parents. It was funny he had never learned their occupations while they were alive. It was also funny that he used fire to start off with, the polar opposite of his parents profession. Fire was used for thawing things out. Yep, it was damn hilarious.

The two boys reached the back of the store, looking for the girl. What they found was a ball cap wearing guy with a goatee surrounded by coffins. He was nearly drowning in his own snot and tears and was hugging a 2 liter bottle of Coke to his chest like a teddy bear. He was rambling on like a madman.

His name was Junpei Iori.

The self proclaimed 'Best Hero of All Eternity Forever.'

* * *

**April 17th, 2009 **

* * *

Aigis awoke in the hospital, her mind getting clearer, emptier finally. She'd had another dream about the blue room. She thought back to her previous state. Her mind... it had been so full of... evil? Death? She didn't know and did not want to find out. Never again, she swore to herself, would she let that _thing_ crawl around in her head. It was so painful. Too painful. It had been if her skull was being shredded slowly from the inside out. She looked around, finding herself in a hospital bed. It was... odd. She didn't know how she got to the bed, how she got changed, or anything.

"Hello. Did you sleep well?" Aigis turned her head to the voice that spoke to her. It was the Minato, the boy who looked so familiar. He was sitting beside her bed, a pleased smile on his face. A single, unwanted question popped into Aigis' head.

... Was he the one that changed her clothing?

Aigis shook her head, blushing softly. Now was not the time for dirty thoughts! Minato tilted his head to the side questioningly before continuing to speak.

"Well, I will take that as a yes. You have been out cold for a week. You worried Mitsuru a lot. The girl was going nuts over the fact you weren't waking up, though don't tell her I said that. She would be pissed at me again." Minato sighed comically. "No more Executions, Mitsuru. Just because I said your powers were like Piru-chan's that one time... Well, I shouldn't have said it in public, but still..." Minato trailed off into incessant rambling to himself with a scowl on his face. Aigis struggled to contain a laugh at this situation. This was the guy from her dreams? Yeah, right.

"How long have you been waiting here?' Aigis asked, hoping to get him to stop being insane, if only for a few minutes. Minato turned to her and cut off his rambling.

"I just got here. I opened the door, walked in and sat down. I briefly considered putting one of Akihiko's Super Manly Energy© bars down your throat, they are packed full of enough energy to run Tokyo for a year according to Akihiko, but you woke up. Yukari wanted to come in and stare at you until you woke up, so I asked her if she was a lesbian, a plausible question seeing as she wanted to see your sleeping face so much. Her face then turned bright red as she exited the premises. I honestly think she was just shy. But don't worry, if she is a lesbian pervert, I won't let her near you while you're sleeping. That's a promise." Minato finished. The worst part was that he said all of this in monotone, as if he were dead serious. Aigis was inclined to believe he was. She could hardly contain her laughter anymore. Wait... why was she containing it?

"Hahahahahahahahahahhahahahah aha!" Aigis laughed, her beautiful voice lilting with inflections of joy as she did so. Minato did not truly understand why she was laughing, but her laughter was infectious and him smile. Aigis laughed for a minute before calming down and wiping the tears from her eyes. She turned her head to Minato.

"You have no idea how much I needed that. Thank you, Minato-sempai. Thanks. You're a good guy." Aigis spoke sincerely, smiling at him, something she had found she hadn't been doing recently. Minato raised his eyebrows in surprise before smiling back at her. She had not called him a robot or machine, but just a "guy". It felt good to Minato, being described like that. Minato stood up and bowed to her.

"Anytime. You should get more rest and then I'll see you tomorrow at school." He left and Aigis laid her head back upon the pillow.

_'I think I'll like it here.'_ She thought as she fell back to sleep with a smile.

* * *

**April 18th, 2009**

* * *

Minato stood near the front gates of the school, waiting for Mitsuru to finish up her extracurricular activities. She had been making him wait for her for the past week to ensure he would "Do his duty properly". He'd apologized to her, right? Couldn't she let him off the leash already? Minato knew he was her bodyguard, but she had spent so long trying to not be guarded that he stopped caring about the position. She could fend for herself well enough. Minato actually felt sorry for anyone that dared to cross Mitsuru.

After Aigis' performance that Minato had seen on tape, he was certain that she was the other Wild Card. Would he be forced to fight her for Links? Or could they share? Elizabeth had said they had to work together. What did she mean by that? Do they even both create Social Links? If so, do they have to share or work together to strengthen certain bonds? Maybe they're supposed to fight it out for bonds and Elizabeth didn't want it to get bloody. Maybe Minato was just over thinking it and Elizabeth just wanted unity. Minato would confront Aigis about her Wild Card status later.

He still had no clue as to what a portion of his hair becoming blue meant, however. It was an odd color. He seemed to feel slightly more... free? He didn't know. He just knew that blue line was suspicious. Though it did seem familiar...

Minato waited a little while longer for Mitsuru before they both returned to the dorm.

Together. Mitsuru was dreadfully adamant about it. She wasn't going to let her bodyguard go away so easily. He had a job to do, after all.

* * *

Labrys was sitting on the 4th floor, waiting for everyone else to arrive. She really wanted to talk with Minato, but she found she couldn't maintain eye contact with him. She felt odd whenever she was close to him. Mitsuru and Labrys often had competed in the past over who got to spend time with Minato, but this was different. She couldn't stand being near Minato without blushing. The last time he greeted her she had to cut it short and move away quickly so that he couldn't see her cheeks begin to redden. This had been going on for quite some time. Ever since she cheered Minato up after Shinji left, she'd been... avoiding him. She'd stuck close to him after his accident, but she'd kept her head down and her mouth shut, lest she say something stupid or blush. It wasn't his fault, but hers. She just needed to master her own body. She looked around the room. She was alone. Well, that was what she wished for anyways. Ikutsuki entered through the door and sat down in his usual place, smiling at her. Labrys had the words "Stranger Danger" on the tip of her tongue, ready for use if necessary.

"So... you're the 5th Generation? We haven't talked much over the years, have we? You are Labrys, I believe. The ASW that is named after her weapon. I don't know where those scientists got their originality from. Most likely a textbook. I used to be a scientist in the Kirijo Group, remember? I heard stories about your generation. The stories were very... entertaining. In fact, I know a man who worked on your generati-" Cold steel cut off Ikutsuki's voice, almost literally. Larbys had placed her axe underneath Ikutsuki's chin in an instant. Labrys' red eyes glowed with righteous fury. Any thoughts of Minato she had were gone, replaced by her sole attention on the trauma that had pushed itself to the front of her mind. She growled.

"Tell me everything you know." Her voice demanded answers. Ikutsuki smiled, more than happy to give her the answers and to get another obstacle out of the way of the attainment of his and mankind's newest prize.

Minato would be his to control. For the glory of Nyx-sama and humanity.

* * *

"Would you believe me if I said a that a day consisted of more than 24 hours?" Ikutsuki asked Aigis, who was seated in her chair on the fourth floor. Yukari had told her about this meeting before school and Aigis had come, intent on obtaining answers. Now Aigis felt she was being interrogated. Wonderful.

"Yeah." Aigis deadpanned. It was hard not to know an extra hour existed when she had grown up with it, dreamed of it, and fought in it. Everyone looked a bit surprised by her acceptance except Minato. He seemed to be busy examining his fringe. He seemed to be thoroughly entertained by it. He appeared... curious. Like a cat or a newborn. It was as if that blue stripe in his hair changed his behavior. Everyone turned the attention to Minato, enthused by his strange antics. Minato stopped and noticed the people staring at him. He cleared his throat and stopped playing around.

"Well, alright. The green world is that extra hour. We call it the Dark Hour. You fight Shadows with your Persona. We're supposed to kill all the bad Shadows. And we want you to join us. Would you kindly do so?" He finished, turning his attention away once more. Apparently he gave this speech before, most likely to Yukari. He didn't seem very enthusiastic. Mitsuru looked a little bit upset at how easily he blew it off. Perhaps his lack of enthusiasm had something to do with her? Ikutsuki put a suitcase on the desk and opened it, revealing a familiar looking gun inside.

"I'll join." Aigis said as she took the gun. Why not? She was already neck deep in this stuff. It would be better to be with people in the same situation. She might even get a seemingly normal school life now that all the secrets were out of the way.

_"Not all." _A whisper echoed softly in Aigis' head. She dismissed it, thinking it to be only her imagination.

_"Thou art I... and I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fool Arcana."_

A strange voice echoed in Aigis' head and her vision was obscured by a card as time froze and the breaking of glass was heard. A glazed look came over her eyes..

The same happened to Minato.

* * *

Aigis lay in bed, contemplating the strangeness of her dorm mates. Yep, they were strange. She just couldn't sleep after all the information overload Ikutski had been willing to "gift" her with after her acceptance. He was probably just lonely. And wanted to show off his knowledge. Aigis sighed. Then the Dark Hour came.

Aigis felt a weight on her bed. She sat up, looking at the young girl sitting on her bed. It was the same girl as the first night she had arrived. The little girl giggled, looking at Aigis expectantly.

"How'd you get in here?" Aigis asked, hoping to get some solid information out of this mysterious girl this time. The girl laughed and eerily said, "I'm always with you, Onee-chan." Aigis shivered. She _did not _like that tone in the girl's voice. Were little kids always this creepy?

"Soon the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you, Onee-chan." The girl smiled, as if she were delivering good news. Aigis felt a small bit of fear in the pit of her stomach. _'What did she mean she's always with me?'_

"The end of what?" Aigis asked, fearing the answer. A little girl that could sneak into her room and do whatever she wanted to her was an enemy to be feared. The little girl laughed.

"The end. The end to all ends. It is the end that will cause a new beginning. What will end? What will begin? Who will remain at the end? I don't know. But I felt I should tell you. I don't know why." The little girl finished and jumped off her bed. She held both her arms behind her and waddled over to the side of Aigis' bed and looked at her expectantly. Aigis, not knowing what else to do, patted the girl on the head, signifying the little girl did a good job telling her. The little girl seemed surprised, but enjoyed it nonetheless, pushing her head into the hand, like a kitten in desperate need of attention. The little girl smiled brightly before removing her head from Aigis' hand.

"Thanks, Onee-chan. I see you woke up to your power. It's very rare. It wouldn't activate, so I had to shove it out. I'm sorry if it hurt, Onee-chan. That power will save you, though. It has many forms, just like another person you know. Though, I won't tell you who, Onee-chan. It would ruin the fun." The girl sat on Aigis' bed and looked at her. "We met before. I remember something like that. We were different, though. Isn't it funny how things changed, Onee-chan? Anyway, I'll be watching, even if you forget me... but you won't, right Onee-chan? We're like sisters. See ya." The girl got up and began to walk away.

"Wait."

Aigis didn't know what possessed her to ask the eerie girl to stay, but... it just seemed wrong to let a little girl walk off on her own. The little girl was always with Aigis, according to her own words. Why did she have to leave?

The girl smiled before disappearing without a trace, grateful that her 'Onee-chan' was willing to call out for her to stay. But she couldn't stay. She would be a burden.

Aigis was left with a lot of questions and no answers. She felt trapped in a world of secrets in which nobody was willing to give her any answers or a straight up explanation (except for Ikutsuki, but even he was vague when talking about certain topics).

It was irritating.

* * *

**April 19th, 2009**

* * *

School.

It wasn't just boring. It was not memorable at all. Minato had eventually resorted to sleeping in class (something he did when he didn't find the lesson useful). He was allowed to as long as he got a 100 on every test. So he did. It wasn't that difficult when the Kirijo Group was in control of the school and was paying him. And Mitsuru always made him study with her. It was enough to make Minato able to get anything he wanted on tests. So why bother staying awake?

He needed the sleep for what he was doing in the afternoon. He had to escort Junpei Iori to the dorms. He was a confirmed Persona user. Akihiko had taken him out for a guided test run, the way it was supposed to happen. Aigis' sudden awakening was against the protocol due to certain unpredictable circumstances. Those certain unpredictable circumstances being the arrival of a never before seen variation of Shadow. And now Minato was waiting in front of the boy's dorm. It was boring.

"Hey, dude! Sorry it took so long. Could you lend a guy a hand here?" It was Junpei. He had just emerged from the dorms with some large looking suitcases. He was struggling under the weight slightly. He could probably take the suitcases all the way to the dorms, but it would be wrong to let him carry all his stuff and walk empty-handed. If it was Akihiko in this situation, Akihiko would call it training and let Junpei carry it all by himself. Minato smiled.

"That is all? Mitsuru usually requires a truck or two..." Minato replied as he took the heaviest suitcase from Junpei. Junpei laughed as he handed over the suitcase.

"You two are pretty close, huh? So are the rumors of the legendary 'Pimpnato' true? The babe-magnet bishounen who's the star of the kendo team?" Junpei said, a slightly more serious expression crossing his face as the two began to walk to the other dorms. Minato grimaced.

"Mitsuru and I have been together for 10 years. But I am no 'Pimpnato'. I'm a regular guy counting the days until school is over, just like everybody else." Junpei just absorbed the information Minato had given him. Minato hoped the 10 years thing wouldn't start any new rumors. Unfortunately, Minato did not know Junpei.

Unfortunately for Junpei, he did not know Mitsuru.

* * *

"J-Junpei?! Why is HE here?! Wait, don't tell me..." Yukari's voice was exasperated, perhaps even desperate. She even forgot the honorific. Or the two must know each other well. Minato briefly pondered the possibility of starting rumors based off that information, but he didn't seem to have much a base to work off of. Why would he even do it anyway? Although, it would be a good counterattack if Junpei ever started any rumors about him...

"This Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here. If you have any reasonable explanation as to why a Persona user should not join our squad and increase our strength, then do say it now." Minato said, not in the mood for comedy hour. Boring school, boring waiting, and then he has to come home to this? No 'Welcome home, Minato!' or anything like that to greet him. He took a deep breath. He needed stress release.

They needed to go to Tartarus soon.

"Umm... He's... a perv?" Yukari responded. Minato facepalmed.

It was SARCASM.

"Nobody ever gets my sarcasm." Minato said under his breath.

"What sarcasm?! You're never sarcastic!"

"Exactly, Akihiko. I use it all the time and you never pick up on it."

* * *

A/N: Sorry, for the lateness. Real life and writer's block kicked my butt. I wanted to get to the first official Tartarus mission, but I got inspired and put lots of things in. I was also going to put Ryoji in this chapter, but I scrapped that idea for a better one. I'll put him in later and it will be better. So Tartarus Mission is next. Oh and Twin Judge of Gemini requested a do a story he had been formulating as a side project. I took the initial idea and ran far, far away with it. Far away from what he'd been initially planning. It's called The Empty Sea and is Persona and Kingdom Hearts crossover. Chapter 1 is up. I'll update it occasionally. Like when I'm pooped out on this story. I'm kind of thinking of a Fairy Tail and Persona crossover... the music from Fairy Tail made me think "Minato would be so awesome battling to this". Anyway, the poll is closing next chapter. Cast your votes soon! Now it is everyone's favorite...

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**HolyMage Mouto: **He had a hole in his back. Also, his body is that of a Persona. I honestly think the only way to truly kill him would be to completely destroy him physically or do mental attacks. You could knock him unconscious, however, and then do all sorts of weird things to incapacitate him either further or kill him. :(

**Twinkly Ace: **Thank you. I try my best to bring the awesome. :D

**Yuuji Narukami: **Reaper... Yu's laughing at you...

Reaper: "I'MMA GONNA KILL HIM. FEAR THE REAPER!"

**review provider: **Interesting and original. Ghosts... :D

**Guest: **Well. Thank you. I feel empowered. I deliver you this chapter with abated breath.

**Guest: **I would love to give you Thanatos armor now... but wait... Minato doesn't have Thanatos inside him... An even more awesome armor is at the end of the Death Social Link. Kohryu's is guaranteed.

**Yikko:** Minato has an immortal body that is part of his psyche. But... how did he get moved from Tartarus? How was he able to get up after being shot by the Reaper. He should have had a bigger hole and been unable to move. What happened? Keep reading and you'll eventually find out.

**Vampuric Spider: **Yes! That armor is going on my list!

**omega-24: **Labrys doesn't get much of a spotlight lately, but that all will change. Muahahahahaha!

**The Shard of Flame Ice:** I'm pretty sure I just answer your reviews in PMs now. And your my Beta... WOOT! You're going to read this and be like "Seriously? I got hired by this guy!" Darn right you did! I had an awesome day and am running on sugar like always! :D

**Guest: **I forgot about Nekomata. Check. On the list now.

**Twin Judge of Gemini: **Minato doesn't have Death... no Thanatos. But I have something better in mind. No RyoAi. I promise you. But that little girl will one day grow up. And she isn't Ryoji. :3

**Ouroboros: **MOAR LYRE PLAYING FOR YOU! And it's awesome. Choppy sentences with long sentences are how I write. Humans don't often think in complete thoughts. Choppy sentences capture the character's thoughts easily and add emphasis to certain parts that need it. Your names are, sadly, all incorrect. And I will add your suggestions to the list (Kohryu is already there but now Norn is too). :D

**grandshadowseal: **Orpheus Telos armor may appear in this. I'm debating. With the voices in my head.

**Mr. Haziq: **Thank you! Finally some criticism. Yeah, I'll go back and fix them as soon as I have the time... which is not often... I'll get around to it after this chapter! Expect future chapters to be higher equality cuz I now have a Beta. And Personas added to list! :D

**BlackFang27: **Not quite the right line. It's more... vague. I doubt there will be treatment of the same kind due to Aigis being... well... different.

**Leomitch: **I will keep it up! Or else it will fall down... like my first story... but we don't speak about that horrid thing...

That's all for review, folks. Now...

**Question of the Chapter: **If you found Junpei crying in a convenience store, what would you do?

**REVIEW, FOLLOW, FAVORITE. **Pretty please with a plushie Ryoji on top?


	8. Chapter 8: The Musician's Hall

**Chapter 8: The Musician's Hall**

**A/N: THE POLL IS CLOSED!**

**The winner is MinatoxHarem with a focus on a particular heroine to be decided upon in a future poll.**

**Also, Hamuko got more votes than expected so I can finally use my idea that involves her! Ha! She'll be appearing, but in a way that NONE of you will expect. Not even you, Minato.**

**Minato: I do not see why you are involving me. Is this not your 'Author's Note'?**

**Shut up. Other authors do it so why the heck not? And besides, as they say, thou art I and I am thou. Oh and my Beta was bogged down with life this time, so I beta'd it myself :D He'll be back next chappie.**

**Now, ONTO THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Minato was in the Velvet room once more, having been pulled from his dreams once again. Igor and Elizabeth were there. Minato waved at the two of them, responding to Elizabeth's rather excited wave. She seemed strangely happy to be back. And she seemed very energetic. Did something good happen to her? Igor's creepy smiled widened at Elizabeth's joyous greeting. Huh. Minato supposed that Igor really did care for her happiness. And she was one of his Social Links so... he had to make sure not to screw this up.

"Minato-san! You have **gained passage** into yet another of the VIP rooms! Come with me and I'll show you it!" Elizabeth jogged over to the door that was the farthest from Minato on the left. Minato stood from his chair in the Velvet Room and strolled over to join her. He nodded at Igor and opened the door. He stepped through, Elizabeth following closely behind him. Minato covered his eyes as they suddenly switched from the mood lighting of the Velvet Room, to the bright outside of a new area.

They were in a large coliseum. It was completely empty. He walked out to the middle of the arena. The place where he stood was in the middle of the coliseum. The middle was checkered with black and white tile rather than the usual sand of a coliseum. The stands around him where the people would sit were impossibly high and Minato doubted he could reach them even if he used Garu repeatedly on Angel's armor for an hour. The stands themselves were pure gold and extremely bright. Minato looked up into the sky. The sky was a vast blue, with the sun directly above him, causing his shadow to be cast beneath him. It burned brightly. Minato looked over at Elizabeth and cocked an eyebrow.

"What is this place?" He asked. It was rather odd, this place. He honestly had no idea what it was meant for. Battling? But who was he going to battle? Elizabeth seemed happy to reply.

"It is the **Musician's Hall**. Previous Denizens of the Velvet Room moved here after its creation in order to master their art to a certain level, one I hope you will reach. You may encounter them while you are here. This room can be unlocked to a VIP guest through two different methods. Your method of entrance, that of the skill of **Musical Combat**, allows you to enter this room as a **performer**. Here you can raise your skill as a musician and **learn new songs** as well as** improve** the effectiveness of your current songs. Would you like to give a performance? Perhaps you can **attract a crowd**." Elizabeth clapped her hands together excitedly when Minato nodded his head and removed his lyre from his back. Elizabeth somehow jumped to the top of the stands. Minato shook his head gently. That girl was a strange one. However, she was very lively. Minato began to pluck at the strings of his instrument.

The song began slowly. It wasn't anything like _Burn My Dread_ or any sort of fast-paced song. It was something he always had playing in the back of his mind. He couldn't remember where he heard it from or what inspired it, but still he clumsily plucked at the strings, hoping to imitate the song. It was too beautiful not to attempt to do so. He fumbled through the intro, trying to get into a good tune. He was not an expert and he was trying to remake this song from his mind. It was a daunting task. And then he hit the right note. His playing grew better and better, the notes meshed together more and more until he finally felt confident enough to sing out the lyrics that joined this song. He sang a pitch lower than what he imagined would be perfect for this song in order for him to, well, be able to sing the song. He felt the lower pitch actually fit it a little better than he thought it would once he started singing.

_"Kaze no koe hikari no tsubu madoromu kimi ni sosogu_

_Wasurenai yasashii hohoemi kanashisa ni kakushita hitomi wo_

_Negau koto (tsurakute mo) tachimukau yuuki kimi ni moratta dakara yuku ne_  
_Yume no naka (mezametara) mata aeru yo_

_Tooi kioku mune ni hime utau_

_Hakanaku tayutau sekai o kimi no te de mamotta kara_  
_Ima wa tada tsubasa wo tatande yukkuri nemuri nasai_  
_Eien no yasuragi ni tsutsumarete love through all eternity_

_Yasashiku mimamoru watashi no kono te de nemuri nasai_  
_Waratteta naite ita okotteta kimi no koto oboete iru_  
_Wasurenai itsu made mo kesshite until my life is exhausted_

_Kousaten kikoete kita kimi ni yoku nita koe_  
_Furimuite soraw o aogi miru koboresou na namida koraete_

_Ashita koso (itsu no hi ka) mou ichido kimi ni aeru to shinji hitori mayoi_  
_Ame no yoru (hareta asa) machitsuzukete_

_Wasurenai yo kakenuketa yoru wo_

_Mabayuku kagayaku hitotoki minna to issho datta_  
_Kakegae no nai toki to shirazu ni watashi wa sugoshite ita_  
_Ima wa tada taisetsu ni shinobuyou I will embrace the feeling_

_Kimi wa ne tashika ni ano toki watashi no soba ni ita_  
_Itsu datte itsu datte itsu datte sugu yoko de waratte ita_  
_Nakushite mo torimodosu kimi wo I will never leave you."_

When he finished, he felt a drop of water on his hand. A tear had fallen from his eye, something that had not happened since the incident with Shinjiro. But there was no pain behind this tear. It was simple joy. Joy at what, he did not know, but he felt joy. He smiled. This song made him feel warm, like everything was okay for once in his life. It made him feel like he was human once more. What inspired that song? Why was it always in the back of his mind?

A new stripe appeared in his hair, this one horizontal to the vertical one. Though he did not notice it at the time and would make sure to dodge or evade any questions about it once he discovered it. Minato heard the sound of applause. He turned toward the applause. Elizabeth stood there, eyes filled with tears. Minato looked up in the stands. He was able to make out about 15 or so specks. They were his "crowd". He had a feeling the number would increase as he played more and more. As his skill level increased.

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana."_

"Beautiful. I could feel the emotion behind it. **Emotion that no machine could possibly produce**. I am glad to say that you are still human. You just need to remember **what being human feels like**. However, you still have much to learn if you ever hope to reach the highest level." Elizabeth smiled brightly at this. She hugged Minato quickly and then walked towards the door. As she walked away she said, "Come and see me later. I shall have a few requests for you."

And then Minato was consumed by a darkness that indicated his time in the Velvet Room was over.

* * *

**April 20th, 2009**

* * *

Minato had a fairly boring school day. And by that, he meant it was normal. Labrys had been suspiciously absent, however. Minato almost envied her. He didn't want to go to school either. However, if he were to skip, Mitsuru would be most disappointed. And that was a major understatement. Minato ran his hand through his hair as he walked out through the school gates. He briefly considered staying after for kendo practice, him being the team captain and all, but decided to do what he usually did. Skip. They voted for him to be the team captain after all. That didn't mean he was obligated to do his "duty". He'd show up, win a tournament, and leave. That's all the kendo team needed, after all. And no, he was not being lazy. Not even in the slightest. Well...

Maybe a little bit.

"Hey, senpai! What's goin' on?" Minato looked towards the voice. It was Junpei Iori. Junpei was walking over to Minato a smile on his face. The kid was strange in Minato's eyes. He seemed to have fun with everything he did. Minato felt a little bit of envy once again. Minato was perplexed by this feeling. Why was he envious of Junpei Iori? Was it the vibrant life and joy he exuded? Was it merely the fact that Junpei could feel everything in an intensity Minato knew he could not hope to achieve? Minato did not understand. He did not usually feel this way. Did the strange new line of blue in his hair have something to do with this?

"Hello, Junpei Iori. I trust your day has gone well?" Minato asked the capped teen. Junpei smiled at that. The two began to walk back towards their dorm together. Minato walked in brisk, concise, robot-like movements. Junpei walked in a way that could only be described as lazy. _'He slouches a lot.'_ Minato noted. Why did this guy seem like such an underachiever? Was there an underlying reason?

"Dude, what school day _ever_ goes well? So, what is this I hear about a meeting today? I'd ask Mitsuru-senpai, but she's... kinda cold. Akihiko-senpai is always swarmed with fan girls, so I guess it's just you and me." Junpei said. Minato smiled slightly at that. Minato had fan girls as well, but he managed to evade them quite easily. All it took was the meager throwing away of an item he possessed and they would chase after it like a dog would a stick. It also helped that he could move swiftly; disappearing in the time it would take the girls to turn around. Minato tried to share these tips with Akihiko, but when Akihiko once threw an item in hopes of escaping, the girls got it in record time and came back for more.

That was not a good day for Akihiko.

"We are going to discuss our plan of action, as well as your training. And a little something else, but that is a surprise." If Junpei were a dog, his ear would have shot straight up at the mention of the word surprise. For the rest of the way back, he tried to pester Minato in order to get the information as to what the surprise was. He was unsuccessful in his endeavor. Minato was good at shutting down when somebody asked him for something.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Magician Arcana."_

Minato, however, was quite successful.

And the bands of blue in his hair grew slightly.

* * *

"I have called this meeting to announce something quite important. **The barricade that had been previously stopping us from ascending Tartarus has been removed**, though we do not know how. With our numbers the way they are, we can send in **two** possible exploration teams. We will use the Dark Hour tonight to **journey into Tartarus**." Ikutsuki finished as he was talking to the S.E.E.S. members assembled (minus Labrys because she was still missing for some odd reason). Minato felt a jolt at those last three words. A memory seemed to be on the verge of surfacing; those words had acted as a trigger of some sort. However, right when he could almost feel the memory and the emotions behind it, it disappeared. The memory had reached as far back as the day his parents were killed. A day he could only vaguely remember now, having spent 10 years as the bodyguard of Mitsuru Kirijo. However...

Wasn't there a blond girl back then?

"What's Tartarus exactly? You guys keep mentioning it." That was Junpei asking the obvious. Minato decided to give a short answer to it.

"It is a big evil tower. Our school turns in to it during Dark Hour. It is like a Shadow nest. Understood?" Straight, sweet, and to the point. Minato liked it that way. It got boring when there was a lot of explanation. Unless the explanation itself was riveting and full of lots of things Minato did not know. This, unfortunately, was not a common occurrence. Minato was finding that he was becoming more and more bored of the world. He wanted to be a hero, yeah, but he needed a big foe to confront, an enemy to defeat. Minato was pleased with defeating Shadows and protecting people on the streets, but so far, there was no way to permanently end the Dark Hour. Ikutsuki seemed pleased with Minato's concise explanation.

"Exactly. We will be going there tonight during the Dark Hour. I would recommend you prepare yourselves, you are going to need it." Ikutsuki smiled sinisterly at that, showing for a split second the Ikutsuki that Minato knew. The true Ikutsuki. Minato liked this occurrence. It meant Ikutsuki was being healed enough to show a bit of his true self. Whatever caused him to be so hateful of mankind must be slowly drifting away.

At least, that was what Minato hoped.

"What about the surprise, Minato-senpai?" Junpei asked impatiently. Minato frowned. He'd forgotten about the surprise. Everyone else in the room turned to Minato eager, or at least interested, at what he had to say that was a surprise. Minato cleared his throat. He only really said surprise to make sure Junpei would go to the meeting. Given Junpei's track record, it would be highly likely he would have skipped otherwise. Now he couldn't think of anything to say as a surprise. Minato looked towards them and began to speak.

"That is... I mean... Oh look at the time! It shall be the Dark Hour soon! We should all be getting ready!" And then Minato pointed to the clock, temporarily distracting everyone. He swapped to Pixie's armor and with a whispered, "Trafuri!" vanished from the room in a flash.

"Y'know, I'm starting to get the feeling there wasn't any surprise at all." Junpei said as he scratched the back of his head, a frown forming on his face. Aigis suppressed a laugh at the situation.

* * *

"What is that?" Aigis asked, awe slowly consuming her. They had just arrived at the tower. This tower was big. Really, really big. Bigger than a skyscraper. And they were supposed to climb this? Who the heck did Ikutsuki think they were? They were just normal kids! Well... almost normal at least. Normal kids typically didn't shoot themselves in the head to have manifestations of their psyche fight eldritch abominations during a 25th hour that nobody else could experience.

"This is Tartarus. Aigis-san, I am appointing you squad leader for the time being. You are to lead Yukari-san and Junpei-san to explore Tartarus. Akihiko will accompany you. I will stay with Mitsuru. I'd go, but I fear she would drag me back and freeze me for good measure." Aigis searched for a tone of humor in Minato's voice. She did not find it. Apparently Aigis would do well not to incur the wrath of Mitsuru. Mitsuru looked smug at Minato's decision, but seemed a bit upset with the way he phrased it. Apparently she didn't like him thinking of her like that. Akihiko smiled brightly and pounded his fists together.

"Let's go. This will be fun." He said, eager to destroy more Shadows. Aigis noted that this guy was _way_ too pumped about killing these things. Aigis secretly hoped that she would never get to the point where she considered doing this as a form of sport or fun. She was doing this for a reason. Deep down she felt that she could uncover the secrets of her past by figuring out what the strange connection between the Dark Hour and her dreams she had of it as a child. She had to delve deeper into the secrets to uncover ore secrets.

Yukari stayed strangely quiet, as if she was having a system overload at the prospect of having to climb this all. Aigis felt she was in the same boat. AND Aigis had to be the leader. What the heck was with Minato's reasoning right there? Yukari was there before her, Akihiko had experience, and hell even Junpei had an idea of what to do. Why let the petite blond girl go and lead a squad against an army of Shadows? Minato was a good guy/ robot (she had just recently been informed of his being a robot by Ikutsuki), but Aigis felt there was a bug in his programming. How else could he come to that decision?

Minato opened the door to let everyone else file in before going in as well. How polite of him. Junpei was... well... trying to cope with the situation.

"Dude. Dude? Dude?! Dude!" And then Junpei began to blabber on about how big the tower was and how insane it was that it was their school and they were going to climb it. Aigis found herself not listening to the teen. Especially when the topic moved on about how cool it would be if he were the leader. Yukari then scolded him; calling him Stupei and whatnot. Akihiko then broke up and threatened a sparring session with the two of them. Aigis sighed. Was she really supposed to lead this team?

They looked around the lobby. Aigis noticed a blue door off into the corner. She walked towards it, preparing to open it. It was odd how nobody except her seemed to pay much attention to it, she noted. Minato noticed her walking towards the door. And then he remembered Elizabeth had some requests for him. He walked with her, deciding to join her. She seemed surprised by this, but continued to walk with him towards the door.

"You are the other Wild Card?" Minato asked. She nodded. Minato nodded back. They didn't need words to get the point across. They were on the same team, two of a kind. They both had a similar fate. This blue door connected them in a way that few other things could possibly hope to do so. They opened the door together while Junpei was distracting everybody else with his banter he had going with Yukari about the extravagance of the ground floor of Tartarus. Junpei was very good at distracting.

* * *

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I see you two have found each other. You will make a great team." Igor greeted them in his usual spot. Minato and Aigis sat next to each other in identical seats. Elizabeth pulled Minato from his seat and over to the side. She began to tell him about all sorts of things she wanted from the outside world and fusions she wanted him to do and such. He listened with half an ear. He wanted to hear what Igor wished to tell Aigis.

"I've been waiting for you. The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power." Igor said to Aigis. Minato found he was interested in this topic as he continued to listen in while Elizabeth still told him all her requests.

"What do you mean? Does it have something to do with my connection to Minato-senpai?" Aigis asked Igor. Igor chuckled at that.

"Your power is unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You, my girl, are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind. My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role... the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then... Farewell." And with those words, Aigis vanished from the Velvet Room. Minato turned towards Igor, ignoring the still talking Elizabeth. She was only on request 34 and apparently had much more.

"What about my power?" Minato asked. As far as he could tell, his power and VIP status were eerily connected. Did Philemon know the full extent of his powers before all this started? Igor stopped smiling for once. It was the weirdest thing Minato had ever seen. Ever since he first met Igor, Igor only smiled. It made Minato feel a fear similar to when he was chased by the Reaper. The fear of a being far more powerful than him. Igor stared emptily into Minato's eyes.

"Your power should not exist."

And with that, he was consumed by the darkness that forced him to leave.

* * *

Minato and Mitsuru were alone on the ground floor. The others had just gone up to the next floors. Mitsuru could feel the awkward silence in the air. She had already forgiven Minato for being stupid and getting hurt. He probably still thought she was angry. That, however, was only part of the problem. The two didn't have really anything to talk about at the moment. Most of the time they talked it was something about their situation or something going on at the time. They'd been together for a long time, yes, but Labrys was usually there as well. Now it was just the two of them. This awkward situation could be further perpetuated by the fact that it was a long time since the two had been alone together when they weren't walking to or from school and Mitsuru felt... something towards the ASW. Mitsuru tried to put her attention to her job of being the "Mission Control". She spoke with the exploration group a few times before Minato spoke up.

"You know, Mitsuru, I am kind of glad that they have Akihiko with them. From what he told me, it was our spars that prevented a serious, or even fatal, injury. I guess fighting the fast Pixie armor made running away and dodging other things easy by comparison. Who knew that such small things could make such a big difference?" Minato said with a small smile on his face as he slightly tilted his head to the side. He was trying to be friendly (and was probably quite pleased that his actions saved Akihiko). "Yeah." Mitsuru said as she turned her head away from his smiling face, red tinting her face. He was too adorable! Contrary to popular belief, Mitsuru the "Ice Queen" was very feminine and loved cute things. And right now in her eyes...

She found Minato cute.

The revelation shook her greatly not because of its content, but because it was something she wasn't even willing to say to herself before. Did she like Minato? She asked herself a question she had asked herself many times before. Minato was smart, polite, cute and, well, everything she envisioned in her future husband. But she had grown up with him! He was like family and... and... he wasn't human._ 'It would never work out.' _Mitsuru reasoned to herself. Robot and man cannot love one another. But... was Minato even a robot? With all the strange things surrounding his behavior and whatnot it was plausible tha-

"Mitsuru? You looked to be deep in thought. I apologize for disturbing you, but the exploration squad needs your help. You cannot space off like that. Well... you could, but that would be rather cruel to the others, correct? They are new at this after all." Mitsuru turned to Minato whose expression was a mix between concern and joking. Mitsuru nodded briefly and turned her attention back to the exploring group. Thinking about Minato could always come later. And it would.

* * *

"Stupei... why? Why did you think it would be a good idea to go dashing off like that?!" Yukari complained loudly as they were surrounded by Shadows on all sides. The Shadows began to launch their magical attacks. Pillars of ice rose from the ground as fireballs shot towards the group. They had little hope of escaping this battle unscathed. Junpei smacked the fireballs away with his broadsword. Aigis raised her AK47 and fired at the Shadows, managing to keep them from approaching too closely, but not managing to actually defeat them. Yukari was firing every arrow out of her quiver in a desperate attempt to stop the Shadows from approaching from behind. Why, oh why, did they have to get trapped in a four-way intersection?! Akihiko raised his fists and then... jumped over all the Shadows and ran.

"I'll leave these guys to you! Think of it as training!" He shouted as he slammed his fists into the Shadows that tried to get in his way. There was so much joy in his voice it was terrifying. Akihiko vanished off into the distance, but the sounds of his destruction could still be heard. Scary. Junpei jumped and did a vertical slash to a Shadow and dropped, cutting the Shadow in two. He did a quick horizontal slice to destroy several of the already weakened Shadows. He smirked. He looked over to Aigis.

"Hey, Glorious Leader-sama! Help us out on this one, why don't ya?! We need a way to quickly beat these guys or they'll never stop coming!" Aigis nodded and put her hand to her ear as she raised her machine gun with her other hand. She kept firing as she spoke.

"Senpai, I need a way to beat these guys." After about thirty seconds, she responded. Good thing too, for they were almost out of ammo, arrows, and Junpei was starting to regret getting such a big sword. Mitsuru told them the weaknesses of the Shadows quickly. Some were weak to fire and a few were weak to wind. Aigis smiled at this. Yukari and Junpei could handle these guys with their Persona. Aigis would help as well.

"Junpei-kun, use Agi at the Shadows directly behind you! Yukari-chan, use Garu on the Shadows directly in front of you! We'll beat these guys yet!"

* * *

Mitsuru sighed in relief. She had barely gotten the analysis done in time, that much she could tell. Mitsuru decided it would not be a good idea to have Minato alone with her on future missions. She got distracted so easily around him. Labrys, Akihiko and Minato could go and be their second squad. They would be the "Trailblazing squad" while the others would pick up experience from the weaker Shadows left behind by the first squad. Mitsuru decided it would be the best way to implement their members as they are now. But it would be best to get a secondary Mission Control Persona user as well if that were to be done. Mitsuru pondered this problem. Perhaps they could recruit another Sensor?

Minato looked at her oddly for a bit before shaking his head and closing his eyes. When Mitsuru was had an expression like that, he couldn't possibly bother her. So he'd go to sleep. It was always a great way to pass the time. And he was always welcoming the rest.

* * *

"Garu!" Yukari put her Evoker to her forehead and summoned her Persona, Io. Yukari thought her Persona was rather endearing. However, in the eyes of Junpei and Aigis, a girl riding a floating cow head was not the most attractive Persona. Unless you had a strange fetish for things like that, which neither of them did. Wind from the spell tore apart the Shadow Yukari had aimed at, while Aigis summoned Palladion for a Swift Strike to attack all the Shadows that threatened to take advantage of the opening Yukari had made whilst summoning her Persona. This was how they fought. Using a Persona created an opening the enemy could exploit unless you attacked them all at once. They had to work to cover each other.

Junpei stuck his Evoker to his head and gave a smug smirk as he pulled the trigger. His Persona, Hermes appeared as well. However, in Junpei's eyes, his Persona was by far the best. It was a golden, mechanical being, with golden wings adorning its feet.

"AGI!" A giant fireball incinerated the final Shadow. They had finally finished the fight. Akihiko showed up and told them they were leaving. Aigis wasn't listening. She was too focused on the card that had appeared in front of her face, the card she had chosen. It was that of 'Pixie'. Apparently this was a new Persona. Aigis smiled as she grabbed it, welcoming the Persona into her. She and the others left Tartarus with Akihiko as their escort. The older student looked as if he had won the lottery and was smiling brighter than they had ever seen before. He was covered in the black ichor of countless Shadows, the result of him diving though them. However, there was one thing that bothered Aigis...

Where was that Labrys girl that she had met before? Shouldn't she have joined them as well?

* * *

**SWS (Story Within a Story) Labrys' Story Part 1: To Avenge**

* * *

I am the 5th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Labrys. That is the name I was given and the name I shall keep, for it reminds everyday of what I was forced to do in order to keep it. I used to be called Unit #31. Those were the simple, easy days. The days when I had #24 with me. But ASWs were made to fight. And so I found myself in a situation where I was forced to kill those I cared about. I had to survive, or it would all be for nothing. #24 begged me to fight, to kill her in order for my purpose to be fulfilled. But even with that I argued against it. The scientists then made me fight her, made me kill her in order to awaken my Persona. But it was not to be. My Persona did not awaken. I do not blame them for me causing the destruction and death to those of my own race. I did that by myself to survive. However, that does not mean I forgive them for making the rules to be like that.

I will never forgive them. They caused so much hurt and pain in the world. The world would be better off without them. I fight not for revenge, but for something greater. I fight to avenge those that have died at their hands. Those hundreds upon thousands of ASWs that have been destroyed in their attempts to make perfect machines. The worst is that they even continued to do the same to generations after me and are most likely working on a death plan for the 8th Generation as I speak. They were not men, but monsters.

This is not revenge. It is what must be done and what will be done.

I may not want to harm those I care about, but that does not mean the same for those I hate. When Ikutsuki gave me the name, I left the room in a flash. I quickly went to my own room and began to plan on how to get information from and then kill my target. My target lived alone. No family, friends, or even a social life outside of his work. This would be the easiest of a long series of missions I would have to undertake to put those that have died at rest. And to save those that these monsters planned to kill. I would kill my target.

_Mr._ Edogawa.

I knew he was familiar, though I could not place it until Ikutsuki was kind enough to fill in the blanks. I easily obtained his apartment number from the school. The Kirijo Group has dug the grave of their own employee. That night during the Dark Hour, I struck.

I reached his apartment fairly easily. It was on the third floor of a creaky old building on the west side of Tatsumi Port Island, relatively close to our dorms. I quickly and quietly entered past the coffins in the entryway. Slowly, I advanced up the creaking old wooden boards that were the stairs. Minutes later I reached his apartment. With a single swing of my weapon, I brought his door down. His apartment was odd. The walls were lined with strange looking artifacts. Display cases were all over the place, like a museum of sorts. This man was a collector of curiosities. In the center of the room was a circular, green rug. Atop that rug was an old, leather chair that sat in front of a fireplace that was quite active. It was odd, considering that we were nowhere near the winter months. Then again, I did never feel the cold, so I would not be the best judge on that.

Seated in the chair was Edogawa. He no longer deserved the honorary 'Mr.' one would give a teacher. I approached him. He seemed to notice my presence and sighed. He did not try to escape, stand, or even look towards me. I was perplexed. He must know my reason for being here. Why does he not resist? Did he not fear death? Or did he think he could escape?

"I always knew this day would come. Ever since the boss let you go free at the request of the kid I knew you would find me. Did you know the boss asked me and the other scientists if it was alright to let you go? We all agreed unanimously, but for different reasons. They had hoped you could find a new life, move past what we had done to you. But I knew we had done something unforgivable. You had developed emotions and we forced you to kill your friends, your family. Hell, it sounds even worse now that I say it. I hoped you could finally get closure and move past the horrible trauma that we caused you to have. I hoped that you would be able to face yourself. If you wish to kill me, so be it. I deserve it. I'm a horrible school nurse and substitute teacher anyway. The students seem to hate when they get me as a teacher. You have the right to take my life. But listen to the others; hear them out before you make a decision. Their names and addresses are on the sheet of paper in the display case on the left wall. I have been saving it there since we first heard you were released. Please, do not foolishly kill them without speaking to them." Edogawa finished, gazing into the brightness of the flames.

I was confused. Move past my pain? How could I do such a thing while the monsters that caused their deaths lived freely? Face myself? How? I was not the enemy. I accepted I killed them. Was that not enough? Was there something else? Was this man even a monster? I shook my head. I could not let these thoughts cloud my mind. I had more important tasks to focus on.

"Edogawa. You have caused many deaths through your work. Even if it is for the good of mankind, I doubt mankind would approve of your methods. There are many who will not rest in their graves peacefully until you are dead. I must help them rest easier. For this, I take your life tonight." I raised my weapon and with a swift strike, lodged my weapon into the leather chair. I missed. At the time, I did not know why. I didn't even know why I could not take a second swing. I merely removed my weapon from the chair, grabbed the paper from the display case and left. But as I did, I swore I heard him say, "Good job, #31."

The next few days I would require research for my next few targets. I decided I would come back to Edogawa at a later date.

* * *

**A/N:** The Musicians' Hall is something I had been thinking of since I introduced the lyre. It is my way of explaining why the musicians of the Velvet Room from Persona 2 vanished. And they will appear. Also, I wanted to get this out sooner, but I got inspired by other things. And life, Assassins Creed 3 and when I get Halo 4... I'll do more advancement of storyline next chapter hopefully. And update it quicker as well. EDIT: Colosseum and Coliseum mean the same thing and both are correct spellings. I just chose the latter cuz I felt like. Remember there are always multiple ways to say or spell a word.

Also we have the introduction of SWSs. These will be temporary viewpoint swaps for various reasons. You can probably guess the end result of Labrys' Story. I hope.

And I have a new story out there that I will probably go back and update periodically. It's called L. Luigi from the Mario Brothers snaps and becomes awesome. And kills things en masse. I recommend it.

I'm tired. I guess I'll reply to your reviews in...

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**Leomitch: **They will open up eventually, but these things take time, you know. Minato has to be able to understand them as well.

**review provider: **I imagined that and it just made my day. I could make that an alternate, crack ending :D

**MyLifeForAiur: **That made my day as well. I'm trying to improve my writing as best as I can and I'll be golden, no? I have four active, living fics going on so that should help :D

**grandshadowseal: **That's mean! And yet... so convenient as blackmail. :D

**HolyMage Mouto: **He does indeed look like one. However, he is not. Every older villain in a story filled with teenage heroes is somehow seen as a pedophile. Some, like Orochimaru from Naruto, go out of their way to make the villain a pedophile. D:

**Guest:** I don't care if it's sarcasm! I'll contradict it anyway! ;D Aigis has Thanatos because she has Minato's DNA imprinted on her core at the end of her Social Link. Elizabeth has the Compendium filled with Minato's Persona, not just Thanatos. Being a demon in Devil Summoner does not translate to his being a Persona, Persona 1 came before Persona 3 and the defeat of Ryoji (Thanatos isn't in P4 and) and in Persona 3 he's only really usable because of his importance to the main character, and he's a fricken' hard fusion of Death that represents Death. Oh and there simply can't be two people who use him naturally. :D Win for me :D

**omega-24:** She will get a lot of attention for a while, but I'm not going to ignore the other characters :p

**Dark Echoes 41: **I personally think the little girl is creepier because she's a little girl. :) As for her being a Social Link... It's a secret ;)

**Yuuji Narukami: **The Shard of Flame Ice is my Beta. He's immune ;) And Junpei I think would be cool with it. Also, tell Teddy that his review on my other story was un-bear-able :)

**Twin Judge of Gemini: SOOO MANY GOOD ARMORS!**

**BlackFang27:** Your review made my day. Yukari will not be excluded from both Social Links, so there's a minor spoiler. Mitsuru is used to Minato being reckless and she cares about him. She won't hold a grudge or anything. Mitsuru plushie? We all want it :D

**Mr. Haziq: **Well, man, just keep in mind that creative writing is not always grammatically correct. And that my keyboard sucks.

**Chaos Rune: Thanks a ton! :D :D Your review made me happy.**

That's it for now folks! But before I leave...

**Question of the chapter:** What do you think the final room will be?

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. **Pretty please with a plushie Mitsuru on top?


	9. Chapter 9: Questions

**Chapter 9: Questions**

* * *

**A/N: ERHMAHGERD I added in honorifics! Seriously, I added consistent honorifics to each chapter so far. And senpai and sempai are both correct, however, I think of senpai as being more formal than sempai, which just sounds cuter. When coming from a girl, of course. Definitely not from a dude. Like Kanji *shivers*. Ughhh. Glad he actually is straight. He is, right? ...Right? Anyway, here's an extra-long happy chapter for Christmas! (Warning: May not be very happy at all) Also, guess who's back?**

******Shard of Flame Ice: I'm back in the Beta-game people. Here's to hoping you like his work!**

******A big thanks to Shard, who knew where I was going _way_ to OOC for a certain character before. However, this chapter still turned out quite different than what he had thought I would do. Muahahahahaha!**

******Ha.**

**ONTO THE STORY! **

* * *

**April 21, 2009**

* * *

Aigis was walking to school that morning with Yukari. Yukari talked excitedly about many things as they went to school. Aigis liked to listen, to have someone talking to her. She had never been the most talkative person if only because she never had much to say. In fact, she had difficulty relating to most girls in the past and was very glad to finally be able to do so. Yukari was a very kind and caring person to her peers. She was a half an inch shorter than Aigis, but Yukari seemed a lot bigger to Aigis, much larger. Yukari suddenly stopped talking when they reached the school gates. Yukari looked around to make sure nobody was paying attention, and then motioned for Aigis to follow her. They moved towards the side of the school, away from all the other people. It was just the two of them. She seemed scared, hesitant, for a moment, before she began to speak to Aigis.

"Hey... I know this kind of an odd time to spring this on you, but... I wanted to talk to you about something. Minato-senpai told you how I was waiting for you to wake up, right?" Yukari asked hesitantly. Aigis nodded. She remembered. How could she forget? It was the first time she felt she connected with Minato. Yukari frowned slightly, looking as if she was struggling for the right words to say. "Gosh, I feel like I've been hiding things from you ever since you first arrived. Well, I've been waiting for a while to tell you that... I'm kinda like you. I lost my dad when I was a kid... And I'm not on good terms with my mother. You're all alone too, right? To be honest, I already knew about your past..." Aigis wasn't shocked. It was hard to get shocked after you encounter a creepy little girl at night that calls you her big sister. It was hard to get shocked after waking up and seeing the boy you think you dreamed about as a child staring at you. It was hard to get shocked when you shoot yourself in the head to kill eldritch abominations for club activities. So essentially, she wasn't shocked. However, she was creeped out.

"It was back in '99... there was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened. The lab was working in was run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there you when you were attacked. ...Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry... You wouldn't have had to go through that if I wasn't such a coward..." Yukari apologized sincerely. However, Aigis wasn't really listening to her apology. It wasn't even Yukari's fault. No, Aigis was too busy to pay attention to an unnecessary apology. She had gone straight to putting together the puzzle pieces.

The furthest back she could remember was 1999.

There was an explosion then at Tatsumi Port Island.

The lab run by the Kirijo Group was caught in the blast, signifying it could be the origin or close to the origin of the blast.

Aigis was told her parents died in 1999, on Tatsumi Port Island.

Aigis' earliest memories were of her being temporarily taken under the wing of the Kirijo Group before going off to the first foster home.

The blast was connected to her somehow. Everything was lining up far too well for it to be coincidence. She was going to have to find the origin of the blast, find out more about what happened. Her first clue to her past was finally here. She knew that being in S.E.E.S. would help her find about herself. It would be best if she could work on this with Yukari. With the two of them on this, they could uncover the truth.

"Yukari-san, it appears we are both linked to the explosion that took place on that date. The furthest back I can remember is 1999. That was when my parents died. I also remember coming under the care of the Kirijo Group temporarily. These events must be linked somehow. The Kirijo Group may be hiding something from us. They are, after all, a major common factor between the two and they possess the resources to form a cover-up. We need to find out more about this. Would you be willing to work with me on this?" Aigis asked, hoping to find an ally with Yukari. Yukari looked shocked, but she smiled nonetheless and brighter than Aigis had ever seen her smile.

"Yeah! The two of us together will be unbeatable!" It seemed Yukari had desperately needed an ally in this. She seemed overjoyed to finally have someone on her side. A mysterious voice then ringed through Aigis' head.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Lovers_ _Arcana."_

Aigis noted with interest the creation of a new Social Link. She wondered how many Social Links Minato had...

He probably had a lot. And, knowing him, they were all most likely high ranked and going well. He may be a robot and a rather terse fellow at times, but he was a nice, funny guy. Aigis almost wished she could form a Social Link with him. Then they would be able to grow closer and understand each other better as fellow Wild Cards.

After all, she had no idea who or what Minato really was.

* * *

The Fool Social Link had leveled up again after their exploration of Tartarus the previous night. Last night had been rather uneventful for Minato. After all, he had been sitting there awkwardly with Mitsuru in the lobby for the duration of the time period. After that, everyone else was too tired to do anything. So, they all went to sleep. Minato had forgotten that people could get tired. Akihiko was full of boundless energy, Mitsuru never let it show, and Labrys and he were machines and thus unable to tire. Aigis had passed out once she returned to the lobby. Apparently, being the leader had been very stressful and tiring for her. Junpei and Yukari were very tired as well, and nearly fell asleep on the spot. Minato decided to let them rest for today as well. _'Perhaps we could do something_ _fun together?'_ Minato was a bit surprised the idea had come from him. He wasn't exactly known to be the 'fun' type. Junpei seemed to be more of the fun type. Perhaps his inner child was still making suggestions.

Minato was thinking about all of this while he was walking to school with Mitsuru. Mitsuru seemed happy to walk with him today. Instead of her angrily demanding him to walk with her (as was the case after he had a hole blown in his back) or avoiding his escort (as was the usual) she wanted to walk with him for enjoyment. Minato thought briefly of his fellow ASW. Labrys' absence did not bother him in the slightest. He believed in her. She always had a habit of going off on her own and she always came back safe and sound. Minato trusted her more than he did most people. She was his... friend and she was always there for him when he needed her. If she needed his help, he was certain that she would ask him. He was certain, though, that Labrys was doing something she felt she needed to do. She'd be okay.

His thoughts were broken up when he noticed all the people looking at him and Mitsuru. They were all students and they seemed to stop and stare at Minato and Mitsuru as they walked by. There were giggling and whispering as they passed by him. A few girls glared at Mitsuru, but then smiled at Minato. One guy gave Minato a thumbs up, but a few others gave Minato glares. Mitsuru was hiding her emotions well behind her 'Ice Queen' personality. After all, she had requested that Minato do his job and escort her to school. She wanted this to be a 'perfect' escort, as she had stated. Minato was wondering why Mitsuru and he were getting the 'more than usual' amount of attention, until he heard what their whispers were actually saying.

"Ten years! Can you believe it?"

"How kawaii! It's like one of those stories!"

"Childhood friends that have promised to be married to each other! I knew the Pimpnato had something up his sleeve! You go dude!"

"Dude... this guy is so awesome... he just blew my mind."

"Damn it! Why can't I get Mitsuru-sama! You better not get Mitsuru-sama pregnant, Arisato!"

"Minato-kun, she doesn't deserve you! You deserve someone like me!"

Mitsuru kept calm and composed throughout this all. However, Minato had been with her long enough to know when she was irritated. He looked down at her face. He noted the faintest shade of red tinting her cheeks. Whether it was embarrassment or anger, he did not know. On second thought, it was most likely embarrassment. Minato knew that Mitsuru was shockingly innocent despite her appearances. Whenever they had an Appointment, Mitsuru would often look away from the screen at romantic moments between characters. The very idea of a kiss caused her to blush.

Minato smiled slightly. This would all blow over soon. Mitsuru would probably get back at Junpei by grounding him when they back to the dorm or whatnot. Starting a rumor isn't a crime. Mitsuru would never Execute somebody for so small of a reason at least. Minato was glad that the only rumor that Junpei started involved them being childhood friends that promised to marry one another. It was innocent enough for Mitsuru to handle. There were a lot worse things out there. Also, they were _technically_ childhood friends and the whole marriage thing was almost relatable to the bond that they shared. Except there was no romance. However, Minato had no idea what kind of arranged marriage Takeharu might do. As far as he knew, Takeharu did not do anything related to arranging Mitsuru's future for her. If he did, Minato would have to show him a thing or two about familial love.

Minato and Mitsuru endured the rumors in silence as they entered school together. Minato almost told her right there who stated the rumors, but he realized it would be futile. Mitsuru probably already knew. That girl had resources. Minato knew that much for certain. Mitsuru also had a speech this morning. The rumors were certainly not helping relieve the stress she's under. Minato decided to save at least part of Junpei's skin.

"Go easy on him. I don't think he meant any harm." Minato requested, hoping to save his Social Link from too hard of a punishment.

"No promises." Mitsuru relpied tersely, her mind obviously occupied with everything else.

Minato sighed in relief. It was better than nothing.

* * *

"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accomodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions... To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future... For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

Minato applauded at the end of her speech. Mitsuru was taking up the role of the Student Council President. This would mean she would be even busier, unfortunately. Minato turned to Akihiko, who was seated beside him in the auditorium.

"I know you were going to bring Junpei and Aigis to Officer Kurosawa today, but I think she's going to need a little relaxation time before her duties make her schedule horrendous. I'll take them tomorrow instead. Is that okay?" Minato said to Akihiko. Akihiko smiled.

"You know, for a **robot** you're pretty caring towards your objective. I'm always surprised by that. Sure, we'll have fun and relax tonight. We'll kill Shadows tomorrow night. You have anything in mind?" Akihiko asked. Minato managed to control his eye twitch this time, but he still felt annoyed at being called a robot yet again. He bottled it up like he'd been doing for years and then began to speak to Akihiko about his plan.

* * *

"Minato-senpai, can I talk with you?" Minato turned towards the voice. He found himself face to face with Aigis. He was just leaving the campus when she spoke out to him. They were at the front gates. Minato sighed. He was going to have to talk about the Velvet Room, wasn't he? He'd been hoping she'd just leave him be. It wasn't like he didn't want to find out what she knew as another Wild Card, but... he just didn't feel compelled to talk about their powers. From what he knew, his powers were unique to him and he would find out all about them in time, eliminating the need to talk about it. Besides, she had her own Social Links to tend to as well, if his hypothesis was right. His powers allowed him to achieve his goals. For all he knew, Philemon was just going around handing out contracts. He also knew that Aigis wasn't a VIP or he may have been told about it already by Elizabeth. She said there were two Wild Cards, not VIPs. The part about working together must have meant on the same team, as in S.E.E.S., which they already were. Talking about it would be pointless.

"Fine. Walk with me. We'll talk on the way back to the dorm." He began to walk. Aigis walked with him, matching his rather fast pace. Then she began to drill out questions, showing a lot more energy than he'd ever seen from her before.

"You're a **robot**, right? How come you have the same power as me? Who are you?" Minato felt that familiar sting at being called a robot, but he ignored it. He began to organize his thoughts. He'd have to tell the same lie he told everyone else when they grew curious about his powers. After all, it wasn't like he could tell the truth.

"I don't know. Ask my creators. They know more about it than I do." Minato internally sighed. He didn't like lying, but he'd grown used to it. It was almost natural. Well, at least now she would leave him alone like everyone else. She'd find out about her own, individual powers on her own.

"You're lying. You know something." Minato froze in place. Aigis kept walking before she turned around and faced him, a sly smirk on her face. That smirk spoke of triumph. Minato had never been caught lying before. This was a new experience. Minato decided to say nothing more and continue walking as he thought of a reply. He'd deny it. It wasn't like he could tell her the truth. First of all, she'd never believe it. Secondly, he'd tried in the past to tell people he was originally human, but it seemed impossible for him. He could never put the words together in a sentence. He doubted he even knew more about the Velvet Room. He knew about the VIP status, but telling her about it would only complicate things. It wouldn't answer any of her questions either. Thus, his only option was to lie. The truth seemed to evade him.

"You're mistaken. I don't know anything. I am... just an ASW." Minato denied asking anymore of her questions the entire walk home. Staying silent was the only thing he could think of in response.

Even if he could tell her the truth, would it even accomplish anything?

* * *

"Uno." Minato was currently beating the others at the card game he had found in a store that day after Aigis had drilled him for answers on the way back to the dorm. He had gotten his wallet from his room and walked out to go buy the cards. It seemed colorful and happy, the exact type of mood he wanted to set for the evening. He decided that a nice game of cards would go well for that 'fun' idea he had. Labrys had returned home and went straight to bed, or whatever mechanism she had for recharging or whatnot. So, it was Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, Junepi, and Yukari. The game was called Uno and the point of the game was to end up with no cards.

Minato had 1 card. Junpei had 7. Aigis had 3. Yukari had 5. Mitsuru had 2. Akihiko had 10.

"Damn it, Minato! It's all your fault for changing the color to **blue**! I only have **red**!" Akihiko was venting his frustration. He had not drawn a single blue card the entire time. Aigis looked at Akihiko plainly.

"Akihiko-senpai, you just gave away what cards you have. That wasn't very smart of you." Aigis remarked. Mitsuru smiled.

"Team, we have a mission. Keep the color from changing to red!" Mitsuru was really getting into this game. She always was rather competitive, even though she never showed it.

"Umm, Mitsuru-senpai? Shouldn't we be focusing on making sure Minato-senpai doesn't win? Because if he wins, the game will be over." Yukari asked, hoping to get a team to focus on the main threat in the game. She was unsuccessful.

"Akihiko-senpai, together we'll win! Just you guys watch! The world's manliest team will make a comeback!" Junpei exclaimed excitedly. Akihiko drew a card and then suddenly seemed to get a blazing fire in his eyes.

"That's right! We can win this! Draw Four, Minato!" Minato casually drew four more cards. He didn't make any remarks or trash talk. He was going to win the game with calm thinking. That's how cards were supposed to be played, right? Minato was having fun with these people. Although he didn't feel the power of a Social Link ranking up, he felt closer to these people. He felt... more human. The bands of blue in his hair grew slightly. That fun and joy of simply hanging out with his friends was soothing. There were no trips to Tartarus that night.

The winner of the game: Aigis.

The loser: Junpei.

It was his punishment for spreading rumors about Mitsuru and Minato. He had to draw 20 more cards as soon as he was about to win. Minato thought that Mitsuru was letting him off rather lightly,and was grateful for it. What he didn't know was that that was only part one of Junpei's second part was, well...

Junpei was just grounded. Literally, he was grounded and unable to leave the dorm except for school or a trip to Tartarus. It wasn't that harsh of a punishment, but for someone like Junpei who likes to goes out nearly every night...

It was hell.

* * *

**April 22, 2009**

* * *

Aigis had not been paying attention in class. She was too busy thinking about things. Aigis was thinking about Minato. He had powers just like her, but he was a machine, right? How was that possible? Were they connected in some strange way? Was he really the boy from her dreams she had as a child? She only remembered a vague image from her dreams, but he seemed to match the image in her head perfectly. However, he didn't seem to recognize her or anything. Did anybody else know? Aigis looked around the classroom. The teacher was still speaking. Yukari was occasionally taking down notes. Junpei was snoring. Aigis looked at her blank sheet of paper in front of her. She hadn't been writing anything down. She let her mind wander again. She would have to talk about it with Minato again later. Alone. Last night had been fun, but she never got an opportunity to speak to Minato alone after the walk home. He kept avoiding her questions. She was at least able to tell that he was lying. She had spent her entire childhood around lying adults, after all. They always promised that she wouldn't have to leave again, that everything at school would be okay, or that she was a perfectly normal girl and she would always make friends quickly.

Or that they loved her.

The bell rang. Aigis began to pack up her stuff, her mind still busy with thinking about how odd it was that Minato and her shared this... connection. It wasn't a Social Link, but something... else. Together they could figure it out and maybe even find out more about Aigis' past. Minato just needed to respond to her. She needed him to tell the truth and then they could start working together. The door opened and the familiar boy with white hair with blue stripes walked in. He walked over to her. She sat still unsure of what he was going to do or say. He had never been to her class before. It must be important.

"Meet me at the Police Station today. Bring Iori-san with you." And with that he turned and walked out the door. _'That guy is... mysterious. Who or what is he really? And why is he lying about it?'_

* * *

Minato showed the two to** Officer Kurosawa**, left them to buy their gear, and went on his merry way. Minato walked down the street calmly, his hands in his pockets. He had no idea where he was going. He was just wandering around without a purpose for once. He had free time and nothing to do. However, he soon found himself facing an alleyway with a familiar blue door glowing far in the back of the alley. He walked towards it, feeling the sensation he associated with the Velvet Room. This was another entrance, one that was meant to be used during the day. Perhaps he could hang out with Elizabeth. He could always boost her Social Link rank. He stuck his blue key in the lock, opened the door, and took his first step through the doorway.

A blinding light consumed him. When it faded, the Velvet Room was there before him. Elizabeth was smiling her genuine smile, and Igor was smiling his creepy smile. All four doors were there, but Minato didn't feel the need to go in any at the moment. He had something else to do.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, Minato-san. Are you here to take a request?" Elizabeth asked him, bright-eyed and hopeful. Apparently, her requests were things that she herself wanted instead of it being associated with the Velvet Room itself. Each request was akin to giving her a present, a bright shiny present. And while a normal present would make her pleased, this present was coming from one of the very few people she had a bond with.

"Yes. **Request #56**. Would you like to go to Paulownia Mall with me? That is one of your requests, correct?" The smile she gave in response said it all. She practically skipped over to Minato and linked her arm in his. She was excited to finally see his world. It must be a wonderful place.

And Igor's smile, even if it was for just a moment, seemed to become truly genuine.

* * *

Mitsuru was going to see Minato. She wanted to spend time with him after their walk to school had been ruined. Akihiko had told her that Minato was taking Aigis and Junpei to Officer Kurosawa in his stead. Mitsuru thought that it would be a prime time to walk around the mall with Minato. Perhaps she could buy Minato something. That ASW never bought anything for himself. Aside from his clothes and his lute, Mitsuru wasn't sure if he owned anything personal at all. Knowing Minato, he probably wanted something at least. Even if he didn't, Mitsuru would still buy him something. After all, he bought those cards the other day for everyone. With this reasoning in her head, Mitsuru happily went through the entrance to the mall.

However, what she saw shocked her greatly. Minato was with somebody she had never seen before. It was a girl with platinum-blond hair and glowing, joyful eyes dressed in blue. She had her arm linked with Minato's. Mitsuru didn't quite know how to react. Part of her felt a burning... _curiosity_ as to what _her_ bodyguard was doing with that _girl_. Another part felt as if it had been hurt, deeply. The final part felt... jealousy. She was jealous of that girl. The girl and Minato seemed to be having fun together. Mitsuru and Minato never had fun together like that alone anymore. It was always nearly quiet when they walked together. Their Appointments had become irregular because of the amount of work and stress that Mitsuru had. They barely even spoke during their Appointments anymore either. Mitsuru watched on from a distance, not willing to approach them or leave. She felt like a coward for behaving like this, but... She wanted to see the nature of their relationship. She could be wrong after all, right? Minato never responded to the approaches of any girl before. He'd always been single. After all, he was an ASW. He was Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470.

ASW's didn't love.

...Did they?

...And was he even an ASW, a machine, to her?

Mitsuru found Minato cute, yes, but what did he truly mean to her? What did she mean to him?

Mitsuru didn't know. She had never even thought about what Minato thought of her before. If ASWs didn't love, what was she to him? Just another human? Did he not think of her at all? He seemed so human-like, but could it just be his programming? Could it just be a lie? Was every Appointment, every day the spent together, just a number on a counter for him? Or was everything real? Once again, Mitsuru didn't know. However, Minato was looking like he was having fun and smiling with this strange girl, this girl that just waltzed into her life that she knew nothing about. Minato was her bodyguard. He wasn't supposed to be hanging around with some girl she never met. He was neglecting his duties as a bodyguard.

And it was frustrating. It was so very frustrating that she couldn't know. She needed to ask him, needed to see what his response was. She needed to know if it was real or fake. If all this time, Minato had been able to truly feel, and had fallen for some other girl. Had fallen for some strange, beautiful, foreign girl that could make him smile in a way that Mitsuru never seemed able to. Mitsuru needed to know his feelings.

She needed his acceptance.

* * *

"Elizabeth-san. I think that you are using way too many coins. You are going to anger the fountain spirit. Only a few coins at once, Elizabeth-san. The fountain spirit doesn't answer the wishes of those that have too much money to sacrifice. It will feel as if it's being looked down upon." What Minato said was false, but he somehow had to stop her from dumping all that money in the fountain in public. The homeless would swarm her! In addition, it generally wasn't a good idea to show off a ton of money like that. Elizabeth looked toward Minato, shock forming on her face. Apparently, she hadn't thought of that.

"That's possible? Oh my, it appears I have made a grave error. I apologize, fountain spirit, if I offended you. Come on, Minato-san; let us go explore the rest of this place!" With that, she linked her arm back in Minato's and literally was _pulling_ him to the next area of interest. Minato smiled brightly. Her joy and enthusiasm was contagious. Minato felt happy. He was having more fun in these past few weeks then he had in a long time.

"Oh, what's this place? There's a lot of stern-faced gentlemen milling about inside."

"That's the **Police Station**. Aigis and Junpei are in there. Do you want to say hello to them?" Her bright nod was all the answer that Minato needed.

* * *

Aigis was browsing the armor available to her. Minato had given both her and Junpei ￥10,000 each, which was a lot to just give off. Minato seemed to be very generous with his money. Junpei had perked up back to his usual self after hearing he could pick out and buy his own weapon. He'd been a bit down since his "grounding", but, like all boys, cool looking weapons seemed to solve everything. Aigis was feeling rather attached to the Camo Shirt, but she wasn't certain if it even qualified as armor. Also, for some odd reason, Officer Kurosawa seemed to carry military-grade weaponry. And he was dealing this stuff out to kids? Aigis liked her AK-47, but the M249 light machine gun and LAW both seemed nice as well. Perhaps she could use all three?

"This is the inside of the Police Station, Elizabeth-san. That is Officer Kurosawa over there and you know Aigis Kubomi, correct? Junpei Iori is the one with the ball cap." Minato was in the station with Elizabeth. The sight of it blew Aigis' mind. She didn't even know Elizabeth could leave the Velvet Room! How was it even possible? And...

What was Minato doing with her? Giving her a tour of their world?

"Hello, Aigis-san. It's nice to see you today." Elizabeth had given her a polite bow, but Aigis could see how giddy Elizabeth was to see both of her guests in their own world at the same time. Aigis gave an awkward wave in reply, unsure of how to fully respond to Elizabeth's sudden appearance. Minato gave a wave to Aigis as a certain ball-cap wearing teen was already making his way over to Elizabeth.

"Hello, beautiful. Did it hurt when you fell?" Junpei was already using a pick-up line. Aigis began to slowly reconsider her opinion of him. This guy was just going to flirt with some random girl he had never seen before? A girl that Minato had just walked in with? How shameless. Minato gave a knowing smile. It seemed he had an idea as to how this little dialogue would turn out. Aigis had not known Elizabeth for long, but she had a feeling that Elizabeth's response to the first person who attempted flirting with her in their world would be amusing. Elizabeth seemed confused by Junpei's question.

"Huh?"

"When you fell from heaven."

"Well, I never did fall from Heaven. That place is rather exclusive. Apparently, you have to be at least dead to have a chance of getting in. Even then, you have to have lived quite a good life as well. In fact, I'm not quite sure you can fall from Heaven. I'm fairly certain that they boosted their numbers of angels to catch any people that fall. I hear that they have had souls fall in the past and they had to go through mountains of paperwork to get them back. Moreover, the lost soul had to go through a court hearing to decide where he/she would reside. My sister once went to one. According to her, it was dreadfully boring. The afterlife is often riddled with rules and regulations only when something goes wrong. Fortunately, few things have gone unwell in the past century or so. I apologize; it would appear we strayed from the main topic at hand. Would you please tell me what gave you any indication that I had fallen from Heaven? Are there any noticeable traits that those who have fallen possess that allow you to recognize them? It would be rather useful information."

"Uhh..." Junpei seemed frozen, his mouth wide open. Minato smiled more brightly. Aigis giggled softly. Elizabeth had broken Junpei by taking his pick-up line far too literally. Aigis could almost see the steam coming out of Junpei's overloaded brain. There are just some things that a person would never expect to hear in response to a pick-up line. Then there were some things that just sounded so insane they broke your logic-ingrained brain. Aigis wasn't exactly sure in which category Elizabeth's response fell, but it was awesome.

"Come, Elizabeth. I don't think he has any reply to your answer. Tell me a bit about your sister you mentioned." Minato lead Elizabeth out of the station, giving a small wave goodbye to Aigis and Junpei as he left. Minato was smiling, happy. It was... rare to see him smile so much. Elizabeth happily waved goodbye as well. Aigis waved slowly. She was still a bit shocked by the sudden appearance of Elizabeth outside of the Dark Hour or her dreams. Finally, Junpei seemed to be able to move his mouth.

"Damn... Minato sure knows how to pick 'em."

* * *

Minato spent the rest of the time doing Karaoke with Elizabeth. She was actually very skilled at singing, but their Karaoke booth recorded a score for how well the person did. It wasn't long before it turned out into a competition. Minato tied with Elizabeth in the end. It was a satisfying time for everyone. Minato also managed to rank up his World Social Link to rank 3. That was always a plus. However, when he emerged from the alley leading to the Velvet Room, he came face to face with Mitsuru. She seemed... angry and hurt for some reason. Minato felt odd. Why was she angry and hurt? Who did this to her? Who hurt her? Minato didn't want her to be hurt.

"Mitsuru? Are you oka-"

"Who was that girl Minato?" The tone of her voice was not that of the 'Ice Queen', but it seemed... desperate almost. Minato was unsure of how to respond to that question. Was Mitsuru watching him? Why? Or did she just walk up to see him and Elizabeth together? Minato didn't have to explain Elizabeth to Aigis and he was certain the he wasn't acquainted well enough with Junpei, for Junpei to ask questions about who he hung out with. How was he going to explain her to Mitsuru? First, he'd have to find out more about what it was she saw to give an accurate description.

"I'll ask again. Who was that girl, Minato?"

"Were you watching me, Mitsuru?" That seemed to be the wrong response. Mitsuru only seemed to grow more agitated. Tears seemed to be forming in the corners of her eyes. Her hands were balled into fists. Mitsuru seemed to be trying to keep her voice steady.

"Answer me first, Minato. Who was she? What is your relationship with that girl?!" She was starting to get louder. Minato wasn't certain how to respond to this sudden... drama. _'Did I... do something wrong? Did I hurt her? How? When? What did I do?' _Minato seemed to try to think of the answer to the questions Mitsuru was asking. He couldn't think of a right response that would make her happy. What was his relationship to Elizabeth? Who was Elizabeth, really? What could he say about her? He didn't truly understand what was going on. Even though he felt, he couldn't fully understand another person's feelings yet. And so... he just didn't know what to do.

"...She is... We are..." He tried to just answer it plainly and failed, his tongue-tied. There was too much to say about Elizabeth. This was a new situation the likes of which he had never encountered before. Mitsuru never cried, never reacted this badly. This was... hurt. Raw pain on her face meshed with anger and sadness. He didn't know how to respond. Minato didn't know how to cure her of her hurt and pain. He didn't ever want to see Mitsuru, that same little girl he first watched Mahou-Shoujo Piru-chan with, cry. He didn't even know what it meant to feel what she was feeling or why she was feeling that way. Mitsuru seemed to suddenly snap, yelling loudly at Minato.

"I... don't know... how to answer that, Mitsur-"

"Answer the damn questions, **M1N470**!"

Minato froze at that. Nobody had called him that in a long time. The name was so... robotic. He may not have minded it before, but... it hurt. It hurt so bad, like nothing he had ever felt before. If being called a good guy made him joyful, then being called... _that_ was excruciating. It felt as if he was... dehumanized. Perhaps he wasn't fully human, but that wasn't to say he was fully machine either, right? He could feel the joy when they played Uno together, when he hung out with Elizabeth, when he first had an Appointment with Mitsuru. He felt fear when the Reaper chased him. Even if it wasn't as strong as everybody else's feelings, he still had feelings. He wasn't just the serial number imprinted on his chest. He was... he was... he didn't know what he was, but he wasn't M1N470! His name was Minato Arisato! It was how he introduced himself, how he recognized himself! Was this what Mitsuru thought he just was all this time? Just a machine? He was _living_ metal, not some hunk of pre-programmed robotics made in a lab! He used to have parents and a sister, a family! Everyone just thought of him as a damn robot!

A band of blue in his hair nearly tripled in size. The vertical band was now stretching to nearly the back of his head. A new band also appeared, this one diagonal and going through the other two bands. It stretched half the length of the other two.

Mitsuru calling him that after all they had been through together was like a slap in the face. It woke him up, yet stung so much. No, it was much worse than that. Minato had been bottling the irritation he felt whenever he was called a robot. He'd been bottling it for years. However, he always knew that Mitsuru at least thought he was more than that after all the time they spent together. He had been wrong, stabbed in the back. To her, he was just another piece of machinery. He didn't even know Mitsuru anymore. That name, that serial number... the last time she had called him that was when they were little more than strangers. The name had... meaning. It represented what she truly thought of him, what he had once thought of himself. Minato turned his head down, the shadow of the fringe of his hair obscuring his eyes. He began to walk towards... this girl. This girl that he once thought the world of. And probably, somewhere deep inside, still did. But the deeper he went, the more it hurt. Unless he got rid of that pain...

Mitsuru seemed to notice what she said and covered her mouth; as if she was trying futilely to seal the words back in. She didn't even notice the new blue in Minato's hair. Tears were filling her eyes, obscuring her vision. She knew what she said must have hurt Minato, if his reaction was any indication. She had never seen pain on Minato's face. He'd never been hurt the entire time she knew him.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Min-"

He shouldered past her.

"Excuse me, Miss. I have somewhere to be."

And as Minato was walking away from her, he knew that he wasn't just a machine, that he wasn't even just metal. Even if in the past he accepted those descriptions of him, he could no longer be described like that. He no longer felt like he was empty and broken. He wasn't a tool. He wasn't a possession stamped with a serial number. He wasn't an ASW. He knew he was somehow more than that.

Because machines never felt pain. Metal never got hurt.

But even so...

Even so...

He walked out of the mall and around a corner. In an instant, he switched armor. In another, he said the name of the spell he wanted most at the moment.

"Trafuri."

And, in a flash of light, he was gone, two sane thoughts ringing out in his head against all the pain, hurt, and betrayal he felt.

What was he?

And why was he even fighting for these people in the first place?

* * *

"Well, of course an ASW can feel, Mitsuru. As my daughter and the one that spent the most time with two ASWs, you should know this best of all. They need to be at least capable of some sort of emotion to possess a Persona. Some even possess a larger Plume of Dusk than others, like Labrys. She is a prime example of an ASW that can feel. I know should have spent more time with you to teach you about them, but the Kirijo Group doesn't run itself."

That was Takeharu Kirijo speaking to Mitsuru on the phone. She had been extremely lucky to contact him. She had to say it was an emergency in order to get to him. She explained her doubts and the current situation. Minato had disappeared. She had tried to run after him, but she only caught air. Minato could be anywhere.

"Really? Th-then that was... I did... F-father, what can you tell me about him… about Minato?" She asked hesitantly. After all, her father had introduced her to him. He should know more about him, right? Her father sighed heavily over the phone.

"If you want, come to Yakushima over the break. You can even bring all your friends. I can tell you more about him there. I can tell you this right now, though. He is... different from anything else I've ever seen before in my life. He may not even recognize himself as an ASW. As is his right. However, do not worry. He is _your_ bodyguard after all. I doubt he will desert you because of one thing you said."

Mitsuru didn't feel reassured. She said goodbye and hung up the phone. It had been hours since Minato disappeared. There was only one place he could really be going. Mitsuru was going to organize a trip into Tartarus. They were going to find him. But before that, Mitsuru needed to cry just one more time. She needed to let the tears flow freely. Because, once she left her room, she couldn't let herself cry anymore. She needed to stay strong for everyone.

She hugged her pillow tightly, as if just holding something could fix everything. But... this was something that she had to go out and fix for herself.

"I'm... sorry... It wasn't supposed to turn out this way…. Minato."

* * *

"Ah, so it appears the young hero and his owner had a falling out. He is shaken, unsure of what to do anymore. He's tasting the pain that mankind can give and the pain that mankind feels. As he is right now, I doubt he could do much other than destroy. Well, this is a perfect opportunity. It looks like it will be a race to find the hero." Ikutsuki smiled as he leaned back in the chair in his office, a small wireless headset in one ear. The little "bug" he had inside the phone system of the dorms was doing its job perfectly. With the several bugs he had placed in the dorm combined with the cameras, he always knew what was going on. He even had the cameras stream live to his glasses when he so desired through a piece of Kirijo Group technology that he... requested.

"So much has happened already. And it has only just begun. Heh, mankind is truly interesting... just like you... We must have another one of those delightful talks soon. Although I find myself often wondering... Will you be the one to 'save' humanity, or will you be the perfect one to give it what it truly desires, Minato?"

* * *

Minato stood in front of Tartarus, in all its glory. S.E.E.S. would most likely have another exploration tonight. He'd have to get a move on if he wanted to reach the barrier before them. He decided that he would deal with his pain, his sorrow, the way Akihiko would. It was the only way he felt he could do it. The only way to get rid of his pain and go back to... whatever he had been before. He'd remove his pain through brute force.

He'd punch it away.

He'd burn it to ashes.

He'd freeze it and break it into pieces.

He'd cut it to ribbons with the wind.

He'd slice it in two.

He'd stab it through the heart.

He'd bash its head in.

And when he was done, Tartarus would be a lot emptier.

* * *

**Omake: The First S.E.E.S. Christmas****  
**

* * *

"Minato?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing with all that eggnog?" Minato looked at the several cartons of eggnog in his arms and then looked back at Akihiko with a slight fire in his eyes.

"You can't have any."

"I wasn't even asking fo-"

"They're mine. Stay away." Akihiko scratched his head in confusion. Then Labrys walked by with a box full of decorations. They were all in the lounge area of the dorm, waiting for Shinji to arrive with the tree. They had decided to get an authentic tree and Mitsuru was very picky. She wanted the tree to "smell like Christmas". Thus, she had gone with Shinji to pick out a tree. She picked Shinji because he could lift it fairly easily and Minato, well, wanted his eggnog.

"Stay away from Minato's 'nog' Akihiko. You'll lose your arms, legs, and bowel movements." She said nonchalantly. Apparently, Minato really like eggnog. Akihiko tried to approach Minato.

"Grrrr." Minato growled at Akihiko and curled protectively around his eggnog. Then all of a sudden, the door burst open.

"Hohoho, guys! Guess who punched out the guy who stole Christmas?!" Shinji had kicked the door open and charged in with the tree. He began to put the tree in its stand as Mitsuru came in as well. She had what appeared to be the remains of the tree in her hair. She began to brush it out, an irritated look on her face.

"Honestly, Shinji, did you really have to knock out the salesman?" She demanded. Shinji shrugged that same carefree shrug he always gave.

"He was charging _way_ too much for this tree. The guy was a scam artist. The lady in the next lot over was selling the same for half the price." Mitsuru gave an irritated sigh in response. Shinji was always so... reckless and over the top sometimes. It would be the death of him if he kept it up.

"Labrys..."

"Yes, Minato?"

"... Do you want some eggnog?"

"I'd be delighted, Minato." Akihiko sweatdropped.

"How do you two even drink it? And why can't I have any?!"

"SO YOU WERE AFTER MY EGGNOG?!" Minato shouted back before tackling Akihiko, dropping his eggnog cartons all over the floor. The two began to fight in the middle of the room. Labrys picked up a carton of eggnog and began to drink from it nonchalantly.

Mitsuru sighed at that scene. She looked back to check on Shinji's progress. Then she started to from a fist in anger when she saw the sight before her.

"Mitsuru, don't be mad, but I think I may have broken the tree." The tree was bent in an unholy position. Wood was shattered and the bark was now decorating the ceiling. The floor was a mess. Akihiko and Minato continued to fight in the middle of the room. And then they began to use Persona powers.

"Zio!"

"Agi!" Their attacks met in midair, but Minato's stronger attack went straight through Akihiko's attack and hit him, sending him flying into one of the boxes of ornaments, shattering all that was inside. Shinji smiled as he pounded his fists together.

"Room for one more?" And then he punched Minato, sending him flying into a wall and destroying the plaster. Akihiko then jumped back into the fray and the battle escalated.

Insanity. Those were the only words Mitsuru could use to describe it. She had wanted a perfect Christmas, but this? This was... this was.. THIS WAS MADNESS!

"EVERYONE CLEAN UP OR SANTA ISN'T COMING!" She yelled, causing all the boys to freeze and stop their fighting. Tears began to form in Minato's eyes as untangled himself from the fight and began to clean up the mess. Apparently, he really wanted Santa to come. Shinji also began to clean up. Apparently, he also wanted Santa to come.

Labrys simply took a sip from acarton of eggnog and stated, "Well, that escalated quickly."

* * *

**NEXT: Chapter 10: A System is Made of Parts**

* * *

A/N: BLARHABAHRHAD;A;LDSNASNL IT'S CHRISTMAS SO GO AND BE HAPPY **FOREVER**!

In case you can't tell, I'm on a Christmas vacation. However, I'll still update one more story before the month's out.

And before any of you say anything, Minato was well within his right to react that strongly to Mitsuru. It's not like he doesn't care about Mitsuru. He just... has been hurt deeply. It's not just her, but everybody that has ever called him a robot that caused this reaction. He had just put all his hope into her, believing her to at least be the one human to recognize his humanity, even if he wasn't fully aware of it. He's now forgotten why he even started fighting Shadows in the first place.

Anybody else want to see how Labrys will react to all this next chapter?

In addition, Ikutsuki calls Minato by his first name without any honorifics. Its creepy, but Minato isn't bothered by being called his first name without honorifics. However, he is a stickler for using honorifics for others.

And next Labrys SWS is next chapter.

Also, we're not even at the first official full moon battle yet, folks. I bet you all can't wait to see how _that _will turn out. :)

And guys... go easy if this chapter sucks, okay? I haven't really touched this story in a while and I may have strayed a little bit from the earlier chapters. I'm feeling really finnicky over this chapter and I want it to be good for you guys as a present.

**Review Reply Time!: Who remembers their reviews? Nobody?**

**HolyMage Mouto: **Ah, the beauty of the judicial system. Gotta love those trumped up charges :)

**review provider: **YES!

**MyLifeforAiur: **Thanks for the info! I don't know a lot about Japanese (I do have a conversational Japanese book that I look at, but that's not a lot of help considering how old it is. This is why I'll be studying Japanese in college.) And coliseum is actually correct. Both spellings are. It's... kind of awesome. And I have my Beta back for this chapter, so hopefully you won't find any errors. If you do... I'll say... meh and work even harder to make the next chappie better :)

**Yuuji Narukami:** Well, we'll see how he reacts... Also, look at the researchers in P4 Arena. One of them looks exactly like Edogawa and has the same voice and everything. It's scary. And... Mara armor? What was that I heard? Make an omake, KingofZeroX-sama? Well, Yuuji Narukami, we'll see... MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm so evil :)

**SlyTrinity:** It's okay. An AK-47 is a perfectly good weapon to give a short, blond, high school girl. The fact that she continues to use it instead of switching it out for something else means she likes it :) BUT... she may switch it out for something... stronger.

**BlackFang27: **And giving a Junpei a two-handed sword isn't dangerous XD Also, I'm kidding about the Mara armor. BUT don't tell Yuuji Narukami that. It's a secret XD

**ChaosRune: **Nice guesses for the next room, but it is, in actuality, something else entirely. The final room won't be revealed for quite some time as it crucial to the storyline. One could say more crucial than all the other rooms. And I will keep using more Persona 3 songs, the next one will be soon. Anyway, thanks for the review! I hope you continue to like it!

**Loki Tricks: **Don't worry! I will stick with it! And you were reluctant to read it at first? Why? Well, I'm glad you decided to read and enjoy it anyway. It makes me happy.

**Leomitch:** Time will tell... I can't guarantee he will ever become human again, but I can guarantee awesomeness.

**Mistress of Madness: OHMYGOSH!** Review-spree! I love review sprees! You can have ze plushie! =D =D

**Hermes tonsils:** I wanted a time for Aigis and Minato to make a connection, so I used Yukari's time. She will play a rather big part for Aigis, but not Minato so much.

That's all folks! I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I love you all!

**Question of the Chapter:**... erhmm... well... hmm... OH! What songs do you think Minato will learn to play and what do you think they'll do? I want to see your guesses!

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, and FOLLOW. **Pretty please with a Minato plushie on top? And I mean an M1N470 plushie! With armors! No, wait... now it's an action figure... Pretty please with a M1N470 action figure on top?


	10. A System is Made of Parts

**Chapter 10: A System is Made of Parts**

**A/N: I recommend listening It's Alright (Also know as This is Fine) from the Persona 3 OST found on Youtube as you read this chapter. Or at least parts of this chapter. I know at what moment it plays in the actual story, but I felt it fit here as well. Also the song that Minato will sing is at watch?v=yugACaFW88U . Copy and paste it to the address bar to listen to it while Minato sings it.**

* * *

_"Man cannot face death without first finding meaning in life…" — Takaya Sakaki_

* * *

**Floor: 3**

* * *

"It's Alright. This is... fine, for now."

He played the song well as he walked through the hallway of Tartarus. It was a song inspired by his pain, yet it did nothing to ease it. It was not alright, but that was why he had named the song that. It was... an attempt to comfort himself. This song seemed to have its own ability. The same pain he was feeling... was being sent towards the Shadows that approached him. They seemed to give up. They had no purpose anymore. This was what he was feeling. It was the pain of betrayal. If circumstances were different, perhaps Minato would have just shrugged off the fact that Mitsuru had called him that name. Maybe he would have just nodded and accepted it, like he had always done. He could have even made a joke out of it. However, things didn't turn out that way.

What was he? What was his purpose? Did he really fight for people who saw him as nothing more than a robot? A tool? A possession? Why was even fighting in the first place? To be a hero that nobody would recognize? Even if he was recognized, his "creators" and "owners" would be praised. Nobody thanks the tool. They thank the one who used it, the ones who created it. The tool would be cast aside as soon as something better was created. What point was there in being a hero if... you only felt pain? If you were only recognized as a tool? Was Minato even a hero at all?

No... He was no hero. He couldn't save his parents. He couldn't save the mother of the boy who had been killed by Shinji's rampant Persona. He watched them die. His purpose had even been given to him. Like a tool. Heroes were supposed to choose their own purposes, to do what is right and come to their conclusions on their own despite the tough choices. Heroes were granted power and decided to save people with it. He didn't match that at all. When he had no purpose, Takeharu Kirijo gave him one. He happily accepted it only because he had no other purpose. He didn't have to make any choices with what to do with himself. If he'd been recovered by an evil corporation after his parents had been killed, he'd be a villain. Who exactly was Minato Arisato? Was he a person that made choices, or just a tool?

Minato didn't want to be seen as a tool.

He had feelings. He had a name, not a serial number. He was Minato. Not M1N470! That wasn't his name! Nobody saw that! Nobody saw him for what he was! Why couldn't they understand?! Did they think nothing of him during of all the time, all the fun they had together?!

Maybe... they did.

Minato felt... excruciating pain, yes, but there was something else that was rapidly bubbling up to the surface. It was an emotion he had not truly felt since his parents died so many years ago. Since then, he had only tasted it, felt the mere presence of it nudging his conscious mind. He had felt it strongly then, but even that paled in comparison to the extent of the emotion he felt now.

Minato's playing grew faster, more high-pitched. The tone began to scream, shrieking out into the air around him. It was no longer a song of his pain, but a song that caused others pain. The song didn't sound good or masterful by any means. It was just a method of expression. The Shadows began to wail and scream before bursting into flames. Black ichor exploded into the air, coloring his white and blue hair pitch black. It splattered onto his S.E.E.S. armband he wore, obscuring it. He didn't even know why he wore it. Perhaps out of habit. Minato wasn't even wearing his school uniform. He simply had his metal showing, like a true robot. His face no longer showed pain. It was... expressionless. Minato began to walk up the stairs calmly, still playing the song which had somehow been... convoluted.

"It's fine... to feel this. I think I have deserved the right to it."

What Minato was feeling was that singular emotion every human being knew well.

Anger.

It wasn't anger towards Mitsuru.

It wasn't anger towards the Kirijo Group.

It wasn't even a burning anger or rage that spoke of passion.

It was a cold, calm anger filled with silent loathing and backed by pain.

It was anger aimed at himself.

He was angry at his foolishness. He knew that getting close to others would only cause him pain. It was a lesson he had learned as a child. Striving to get close to others was idiotic. Yet still he tried to be close to others. He had thought if he got stronger and didn't die, fall, or break, then he could live happily with his bonds. He had thought mankind would see him for who he was and not what he was. He... would not forget his lesson so easily again. He was angry at his powerlessness. He had been unable to tell the truth. Unable to tell them that beneath the steel were feelings that were not robotic or manufactured. Real, human feelings. But even then... he had thought he didn't need to tell them. He had thought they knew he was something more. He had been foolish for thinking that, and he paid the price. So now he felt anger on top of all his pain.

Another band of blue formed beneath the black ichor in his hair. This one was diagonal and crossed through all the other bands before it.

"Enough of this worrying about my identity. I hate feeling this... angst. I just really need a punching bag right now. No... I need a myriad of punching bags. Although, even that may not be enough. I'm going to kill everything. And then... I'll feel better. It works for Akihiko, right?"

Minato was speaking to nobody.

However...

He wished someone would answer back.

* * *

**Floor: 4**

* * *

He felt the form of his lyre shift to his familiar short sword as he reached the next floor. He was going to climb as high as he could until he reached an enemy that was strong enough to take enough blows to dull the pain. He may even encounter the Reaper. A large number of Shadows met him at the next floor, as if they were waiting for him. There were approximately 15. Did the Reaper do this? It was the only explanation he could think of. Did the Reaper want to slow him down so it could appear? Minato welcomed the challenge. Fifteen was too low of a number.

Minato could only use a single fireball from each hand, so it often made multiple groups of enemies difficult. He didn't have any attacks that could attack them all at once. However, he had remembered something Elizabeth had once told him. He had decided to visit the Velvet Room before entering Tartarus to make sure it worked. He was certain it would be effective in battle. He threw his sword up into the air. It stuck in the ceiling. He'd need both arms for this.

_"This Forge serves the purpose of turning Persona into Parts or Sets that you can either mix and match or swap."_

"**Part Add On: Left Arm of Angel." **His left arm was consumed by the black that was Angel's armor in that location. The Shadows began to approach him readied to attack. One lunged at him. Minato sidestepped and aimed both his arms at the Shadow. His eyes emptily stared at the Shadow. He briefly wondered how many he would have to destroy to rid himself of his pain.

"**System Spell: Firebomb.**" The fireball emerging from his right hand fused with the Garu he held in his left. The result was a humongous ball of flames that were fed by the wind spell. Minato fired it at the Shadow. The fire came into contact with the Shadow, instantly incinerating it. The flames were then carried and fueled by the wind like shrapnel from a grenade and caused the rest of the Shadows to be destroyed, their wails of pain could not even escape as their flesh burned. Minato checked his SP. He had a quarter of it left. The song had taken half. The System Spell took a quarter. He'd need to use the rest sparingly. However, the dark puddles that remained did nothing to curb his pain. He needed to kill more of them.

More Shadows came to block his path. There were thirty, twice the number of the last group. Instead of lunging at him, they stayed their distance. Then they began to launch spells at him. A mass of fireballs as well as shards of ice were launched at him. He even felt the ground rumbling, indicating they were trying the Bufu variation that attacks from under the ground.

Minato jumped.

He pulled his sword from the ceiling and came crashing down, slicing the ice spikes that had emerged underneath him in two. The fireballs were coming in fast, approaching him. Minato calmly walked towards the attacks. Then, for some odd reason, he remembered a song. It was a song an anime character had sung, the protagonist. For some strange reason that he himself did not fully comprehend, he began to emptily sing it as he walked towards through the flames. Something in him was broken. No, it had always been broken. Putting a bandage over it was only a temporary relief. At some point, the bandage had to come off. And come off it did. He continued to walk, readying his sword as he did so. He felt no joy at killing Shadows, though he thought he should at least feel something. As the opening words to the song came from his mouth, he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into the pain and anger.

"Total slaughter... Total slaughter..."

He emerged virtually unscathed from the attack. A bit of his hair had been singed as well. The white gloves, sleeves, pants and boots he wore turned black around the edges. He dashed forward and slashed one of the Shadows upwards. He then proceeded to jump into the air and grab the Shadow with his right hand. The Agi from his right hand lit the Shadow aflame. Minato threw the Shadow at the rest of the Shadows that had attacked him. He didn't care if they were resistant to fire. His fire was strong. The Shadow hurtled through the air, destroying several of its kind as it crashed into them.

"I won't leave... a single man alive."

They weren't men, but it was how the song went. Oh well. At this point, he didn't care what he was killing. Minato then went to kill the rest on the floor.

He never noticed the figures that were following him.

* * *

**Floor: 5**

* * *

Three bird-like Shadows faced him. They seemed to be the only Shadows on this floor. Minato launched an Agi at one. The flames streamed into it, as if it was absorbing the flames. Challengers had appeared. If fire didn't work on them, then perhaps his sword could be of some use.

"La de da de die... Genocide..."

The Shadows sent blades of wind at him, threatening to slice him to pieces. He sidestepped, ducked, and jumped to avoid all three of their attacks. He then suddenly ran and slid directly underneath the three Shadows. His turn. He jumped up, swinging his sword around him and creating a small hurricane of his own. The left arm of Angel's armor infused his sword strikes with blades of wind. He cut through all of the Shadows several times before he landed and continued on his way. Black ichor rained from the sky where the Shadows once were. They began to pool at the floor and drip down between the cracks.

"La de da de dud... An ocean of blood."

Past the Shadows were a bit of treasure. Among them, Minato found something quite interesting. He immediately popped it into his mouth.

Minato just ate a Snuff Soul. His metal, red eyes seemed to glow brightly as he continued his climb of Tartarus. He changed his lyre to the form of Shinjiro's old axe he used to use. Minato hefted it with one hand easily.

"Let's begin... the killing time."

* * *

"Where's Minato, Mitsuru?" Labrys asked the red-haired heiress. Labrys had just recently gotten home after finishing the last of her research she had been doing. As soon as she returned, Mitsuru solemnly told them they were going to Tartarus. Mitsuru had been suspiciously quiet since she had ordered a trip to Tartarus. Everyone else felt unnerved by the lack of the familiar robot. He had never been absent from a trip to Tartarus. Now they were walking to Tartarus and were nearly there.

"He's... already there. He went on ahead." Mitsuru said calmly. The pause that Mitsuru gave made Labrys suspicious. Mitsuru could fool everyone else, but Labrys had been one of her bodyguards for years. She knew when Mitsuru wasn't telling all of the truth. Normally she would let it slide, but this was about Minato. Labrys hadn't been able to see Minato a lot and had been looking forward to seeing her fellow ASW. If something happened to him when she wasn't around to save him...

"Mitsuru. What happened to Minato?" Labrys asked sternly. Junpei, Aigis, Akihiko and Yukari all stopped. Something happened to Minato? Mitsuru stopped. Her hands were clutched into fists. Whether she would cry or shout, nobody knew... but whatever happened to Minato must have affected her greatly.

"Senpai? Are you okay?" Junpei asked, caught completely off-guard by this sudden change in her personality. She didn't respond.

"Mitsuru... It's okay. It's alright. Just tell us what happened." Akihiko asked softly. He never saw her this... vulnerable. She seemed perfectly fine just a few minutes ago.

Yukari and Aigis simply looked on, not sure what to do or how to respond to the Kirijo heir's current state.

"He's... I... We had...a..." She trailed off, her voice so quiet that nobody could hear her. This state she was in... It seemed to only happen whenever Minato was involved. Minato...

_'Mitsuru, I swear if you did something...'_ Labrys felt a rage slowly her in her, a rage that had been building since she was given the location of those who had caused the conditions for the deaths of her sisters. Labrys quite liked Mitsuru, so it wasn't anger aimed at her. It was a general anger aimed at her life. It was an anger she had thought she had long forgotten in the days she spent with Mitsuru and Minato, yet... it still remained.

"Speak up, Mitsuru. Please," Labrys asked, no, ordered.

"We had a fight and...no, it was my fault... I-I jumped to conclusions and said something that... hurt Minato. I called him by... his serial code and then he ran off... to Tartarus," Mitsuru said, her voice barely above a whisper.

_'Hurt Minato? That... bitch.'_ The thought came completely out of seemingly nowhere in Labrys. Labrys was too shocked to even respond. For the entirety of the time she knew him, Minato never was hurt except for one other time...

_"Have you ever felt like… you've failed? Like the original goal you set out for yourself is unreachable? Like you can't do anything to change the way this world works… powerless…"_

It was right after Shinji had gone berserk. Except this time, it was not that Minato thought he had failed. It was Mitsuru that failed Minato. That was completely different. Being an ASW is difficult. Especially when you are surrounded by people who aren't familiar with the way an ASW functions. People simply assume that you can't feel, that you are programmed. The Plume of Dusk inside of every ASW gives them individuality, gives them the ability to make their own decisions. While there are some base parameters, those can be overcome by the will of the ASW. Being constantly treated as if you can't feel is difficult; this was one of the reasons why Labrys tried to distance herself from all of the humans in the dorm save for Mitsuru. Minato was unable to do that. Coming to the realization that the people he knew saw him as a machine first and Minato second, must have sent him into a spiraling... depression. Maybe... into a rage... Mitsuru doing this of all people... Minato needed Labrys. He needed her now. But first...

SLAP!

Mitsuru held her red cheek with tear-filled eyes as Labrys ran after Minato, axe in hand.

"I don't understand. Minato-senpai is a robot, right? Why would he be hurt by being called his serial code?" Yukari asked, confused.

"Yukari-san, why do you think the word bitch is an insult? A bitch is a merely a female dog. However, it's dehumanizing and demeaning to be called that because you know yourself to be human. You know you aren't some animal that survives on instinct or is kept as a pet. You know you are human and thus believe you deserve to be treated as such. If Minato-senpai doesn't think of himself as a simple machine that can be serial-coded, but as an actual person, then how do you think being called that feels? The same as being called a bitch, maybe even worse merely because it was Mitsuru-senpai. It's dehumanizing and demeaning. He's in pain. We need to help him, need to show him that we didn't meant to push him away." Aigis said before running after Labrys. Mitsuru wordlessly followed her into Tartarus, tears coming from her eyes. Her attempts to stay strong had failed for the first time in a long time.

"Then? All those times I called Minato a robot, I was hurting him? Dammit Minato! You should have said something! It didn't have to be like this!" And with that, Akihiko was off as well, leaving only Junpei and Yukari outside of Tartarus.

"Yuka-tan, I don't know about you, but I like Minato-senpai. He's a cool guy. A real bro. And us bros stick together." With those wise words, Junpei charged into Tartarus.

"W-wait!" Yukari shouted. She wasn't very familiar with Minato. He saved her life, yes, but... she never felt like she could connect with him like the others seemed to. But Aigis had a point. They had returned his kindness with insult. When he saved her, she called him a robot. She was partially responsible for this mess. She... had to go save him. Maybe they could hang out afterwards. She never even tried to get to know Minato before. If Minato could inspire all these people to save him, become their friend, then she could be his friend too, right?

"Wait for me!" She exclaimed as she ran after Junpei.

They were going to apologize. They were going to save their friend.

But... while they were busy talking...

* * *

**Floor 10**

* * *

"Forneus."

The armor of one of his new Personae covered his body. Like the others, he had picked it up in one of the Shuffle Time opportunities. A large mouth and eyes appeared on his chest. His skin and armor all turned to beige with black spots. His hair remained covered in the black ichor. The armor seemed to have a translucent layer of skin that came with it, allowing him to glide in the air, which was what he was doing now as he dodged the multiple element attacks of the three hand-like Shadows below him. His mind was lost in the battle. Nothing else mattered. All he had to do was kill everything.

"Tarukaja."

He dropped from the sky, switching his armor back to that of Orpheus, his base. His lyre transformed into an imitation of the pair of gloves that Akihiko was partial to. He dashed towards one, delivering a deadly uppercut that destroyed it in a single blow. He jumped into midair and flipped to avoid the Agi and Zio which nearly hit him. He switched his armor to Angel's.

"Garu."

The wind sent him flying towards the second hand. He flew through it with his fist, completely annihilating it. He turned towards the last hand and charged once more, dodging the Bufu it attempted to hit him with as he pounded it to the ground with a single fist. Black ichor was sprayed into his emotionless face. He walked away, continuing to the next floor. All the Shadows on this floor had been destroyed. This killing had little to no thought behind it. There were no songs, no System Spells, nothing but him eliminating the enemy. Anger and pain had consumed him, leaving him nothing but an empty shell, once more.

* * *

The remnants of a battle remained. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling were covered in the black ichor of dead Shadows. No Shadows stopped S.E.E.S. as they all ran towards the next floor. It was obvious Minato had come through here in a rampage.

Labrys quickened her pace. The rage, confusion, pain, all of it could be seen in her surroundings, even though he was most likely entire floors above her. _'Minato! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you! I'm sorry you had to find this awful truth about ASWs and humans out for yourself! I should have told you! I should have been with you!'_

* * *

**Floor 13**

* * *

"Nekomata."

The pink fur that covered Minato quickly became black with the ichor from Shadows. The armor came with a black facemask that covered his mouth, a tail, and black cat ears over his regular ears. He ran on all fours, pouncing off the wall and diving through more Shadows. Fireballs and lightning came from all directions, but on all fours, he was too fast to be hit by them. He jumped off the wall and grabbed his lyre from his back, transforming it into a sword.

"Cleave."

Many Shadows died under the large sword swing. He landed and prepared his sword for many more slashes. He was going to eliminate them all. He rushed them all once more.

* * *

Aigis worried for her senpai. He was a nice, slightly eccentric _person_. She never just thought of him as a robot. Even when she found out he had steel instead of flesh, she knew he wasn't just some machine. In her mind, he was more alive, more human than most people she met. And she had met many people.

_'Back then when I spoke to him about his powers, he lied. And then how he reacted when called by his serial number. Him and I having the same powers... It makes sense. Because he also lied when he said he was just an ASW. He thinks he's human.'_ Aigis concluded in her head as she continued to climb Tartarus Then... something began to poke at the edge of her memory. It was a soft prodding, but it grew harsher and harsher until it finally unveiled itself. And when it did, the last piece of the puzzle was finally there, taunting her.

_'The dreams!'_

Aigis ran even faster.

* * *

**Floor 14**

* * *

The single Shadow on this floor repelled his punches, causing him to injure himself. It blocked his sword slashed, resisted his fire. He switched to Apsaras to take out the large Shadow with ice. He jumped back to get some distance between himself and the Shadow.

"Bufu."

A pillar of ice appeared beneath it, sending the Shadow flying up into the air.

"Bufu."

Another icy pillar appeared from the ceiling, stopping the Shadow's ascent as the pillar from beneath suddenly grew, crushing the Shadow between the two pillars of ice.

Minato walked towards the next floor. No matter what he did, no matter how he killed these weak Shadows, he didn't feel better. If anything...

He felt worse.

* * *

Mitsuru rushed towards the next stair room, intent on getting to Minato and begging for his forgiveness. She had made a mistake. People... people make mistakes, right? She didn't think of Minato as just a machine! She might have doubted him on a... few occasions, but Minato was more to her than a robot! He was more like family! No, he was more than that to her! She just thought Minato didn't think of her...

_'I'm sorry...'_

There was nothing else she could say, nothing else she could do. Despite all her power, her money, her resources, there was nothing she could do but run faster to get the chance to apologize. She felt so... powerless.

* * *

**Floor 15**

* * *

Chains were rattling, indicating the appearance of a familiar figure.

The Reaper appeared. Minato was quickly on all fours in the Nekomata armor. He ran from the shot and bullets surrounding him. The craters that appeared all around him did not faze him. He was too far gone to feel fear.

"Minato. You must cease this at once. This is not how it's supposed to be. Stop running away from your problems! Face me!" The Reaper spoke to him for the first time outside of the VIP Lounge. The words didn't enter Minato's mind. They were not enough.

Flames, spikes of ice, lightning, wind, all the familiar elements were shot at him, attempting to stop him dead in his tracks. However, even though the familiar craters surrounded him, indicating that he was almost shot multiple times, Minato outran the Reaper.

* * *

Akihiko ran the fastest he ever ran. He already lost Miki. Shinji was lost in his feelings of remorse. Akihiko couldn't stand to lose anybody else. Minato and he had grown rather close. Akihiko continued to run faster and faster.

_'Minato! You should have told me it hurt you! You should have relied on us all more! Do you want another incident like Shinji's to happen? Just trust us more! Give us one chance!'_

Akihiko sprinted, leaving Junpei and Yukari far behind.

Junpei ran fast as well, despite him not being the best in P.E.

Yukari, on the other hand...

She couldn't move another step. She caught her breath for a second, and then continued to run.

Minato and her might not have been the best of friends, or even friends for that matter, but she couldn't give up on him. After all, when she was in trouble, he had saved her. He didn't give up on her and he barely knew her. She was indebted to him. And Yukari Takeba repays her debts.

* * *

**Floor 16**

* * *

Minato reached the first barrier, but it did not stop him. He pounded on the barrier repeatedly, as if his attacks could break it down. Nothing happened. The barrier was too strong, but he still beat on it.

He had no other choice. He could not go down. There were no Shadows to kill down there. He could only go up. He needed to go up. Up was the only direction available to him. Up. Up. Up!

His mind was nearly devoid of reasoning. It was sad, in a way. Minato Arisato had fought his hardest for years to protect those he cared for.

Yet... why? Why... him? Why did these things always happen to him?

"I've finally found you, Minato."

* * *

Labrys was continuing to run. She was fast, her machine legs were proof of that. She was nearly to the 16th floor. It was the floor that Mitsuru told them had the barrier back when they were leaving the dorm.

_'Wait up! I'm going to catch up to you! I'm going to protect you!'_

Labrys didn't know how she would protect him. She would do her best to save Minato from the awful, awful things in the world.

She would not fail.

She was save the person who saved her. Her whole current life, everything she had experienced since she was released from her deactivation, every happy memory or bit of joy she felt since then...

She owed to Minato. She could never thank him enough for what he has done.

She reached the top of the stairs with Mitsuru, Akihiko, and, amazingly, Aigis to find that on that floor was...

* * *

"I've finally found you, Minato."

Minato stopped attacking the barrier that had been preventing him from going upwards. He turned to face the person who had spoken to him.

There were four people there who had found him. Among them was...

"I...Ikutsuki?" Some clarity was brought to Minato's mind. Ikutsuki treated him like he was human, right? All those serious discussions... Ikutsuki cared about what he had to say and listened. Ikutsuki... He could trust him, right?

"That's right, Minato. I'm Ikutsuki. I'm glad to see you remember me. And these are some of my colleagues. Meet Takaya Sakaki, Chidori Yoshino, and Jin Shirato. We all know the truth, Minato. We know that you are truly _human_." Minato froze at that. They... they knew? That he wasn't just a machine or something in between a human and a machine, but a human? His mind seemed to clear even more so.

"You are wondering how we know, correct? It's rather simple. After the incident on Moonlight Bridge, I was in charge of the clean-up operations. A little boy named Minato Arisato went missing 10 years ago. His parents were gone, but the child could not be found. I always wondered where he went. Then when you took the name Minato Arisato upon coming to school, I finally understood. You are that little boy. You are a victim, Minato. You are a victim to the cruelty of mankind. The Dark Hour which caused your parent's car to crash was caused by the Kirijo Group. Mankind brought destruction upon itself. Even when you try to be a hero, they will never acknowledge you. They will despise you."

Minato was avidly listening to everything Ikutsuki said... He was a victim... No... No, that did not seem right. It was wrong. Wrong. He was not a victim... He just... he was... What was he?

"Do you remember the first question I asked you when we had our first discussion?" Ikutsuki asked. Minato nodded.

"Y-you... asked why I fight." Minato shakily said.

"Correct. You responded by saying that there were 'good people' in this world. Do you feel the same? Mitsuru Kirijo betrayed you. Her father is the leader of the organization that killed you parents. Your parents may have been 'good people', but where are they now? You know all of this is true, Minato." Ikutsuki said.

"What do... you want me to do about it...?" Minato replied, unsure of how to react to all this. He felt so many emotions right now; he didn't know how to respond. But... he felt that what Ikutsuki was saying... might be true. But then why did it feel so wrong? Why did Ikutsuki's words feel... empty? Ikutsuki smiled broadly.

"It is rather simple. You once told me a hero is supposed to save people, correct? But your idea of saving people is temporary. People will continue to feel the same pain you feel, perhaps even worse. I want you to do this with me: Give the people what they want. Put an end to all the misery and suffering in this world. Help yourself and help the others who feel the pain that you do. You know what I'm asking, right?" Minato nodded. He understood where Ikutsuki was going.

"You want to put them out of their misery..."

"Exactly. It is the most selfless act I can think of. To stain one's hand for the sake of billions of people. You are a hero, Minato. You are not some tool or machine to be manipulated, used, and then thrown away. These three youths right here," He motioned to the other three beside him. "Suffered immensely under mankind. They were experimented on by the Kirijo Group to force Persona powers to manifest. The result is that they all have very short life spans and constant pain that they carry with them, yet they fight for the salvation of others. The Kirijo Group knew you would not be enough, so they went to harming innocents. Do you see their true colors now? Do you see the filth that has become mankind? Will you help us by being the hero the world needs to know you are?

Minato Arisato, will you join Strega?"

"... I just want..."

* * *

Nothing. The 16th floor was empty. They had been too slow.

Mitsuru fell to her knees and cried. Labrys continued to look around the floor in disbelief. Akihiko punched a wall in anger. Aigis... was silent. There was nothing more to say. They were too slow. Perhaps if they hadn't spent that time interrogating Mitsuru, if they had run just a little bit faster, they could have made it. And that hope was what hurt them the most.

Minato Arisato, also known as Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon: M1N470, was gone.

* * *

"...I just want to be alone. Being close to others only causes anguish."

"You won't have to worry about being close to others in Strega. It's one of our policies."

"Good. Where do I sign?"

* * *

**SWS: Labrys Part 2: Alone**

* * *

I failed.

I failed to save the one who mattered most. And now I was alone. I could not face or even speak to Mitsuru. I was so angry. It took all my self-control to not beat her severely. I didn't know where this anger came from because not all of it seemed related to Minato. I didn't talk to anyone in S.E.E.S. For the rest of the night and even until morning I searched for him, hoping to just catch a glimpse or a single clue as to where he had gone. I found nothing, but I still continued to search. I couldn't even pay him back this much. I couldn't help him when he must have been in so much pain, so much agony. My petty plans of vengeance paled in comparison to this one failure. I had pushed him out of my mind, focused on a singular goal. Because of that, I lost him.

Are we ASWs just a cursed existence? Why must happiness always be pulled away from us? What did we ever do wrong?

All the research I had accumulated for the next target seemed pointless. Until I found Minato...

What point was there to doing all this?

I suppose... I wanted to move forward by cutting my ties with my past. I always found it hard to be around Minato. He always was much more social, much better with humans than I was. If I had severed those ties...

Maybe we could stand together. Maybe I didn't have to be the ghost of the dorms, but instead be an integral part of it.

Those had been my thoughts...

Minato? Where are you? Why do you always disappear? Are you running away, or is something keeping us apart? Is it fate? Together we had been a team. S.E.E.S. had been a working system! And if a system is made of parts, then you're _the_ crucial part of it! Don't you understand that! Without you... I don't know how we'll be able to work with you missing. A system with a missing part is like a person without a heart. Neither of them works.

The next day I went out looking for him. However, I would not be seeing him again for a while. And when I did...

He would be different.

* * *

**Omake: Stregadventures!: Welcoming Party!**

* * *

"Welcome to Strega!"

Minato looked around. There was a mini-fridge, couch, 70 inch plasma T.V., every single gaming console he'd ever seen, a popcorn machine, and just... awesomeness. Why was this place so good?

"Here in Strega we believe in our motto of 'live in the present'! It's better to burn out, then fade away! Have a cold one! It will cure all your pain, man." Then Jin started chugging beer as he held one out to Minato. Minato hesitantly grabbed it.

Takaya was smoking weed, sprawled out on the couch, and looking as if he was in complete bliss.

Chidori was... drawing and giggling while doing so, her cheeks completely flushed. She was drawing rather obscene pictures at that. Because she was drunk.

"Uhm... Am I really with the right people?" They ignored Minato's question. He shrugged and grabbed the beer.

Could he really get drunk with his body?

"Live life in the present, man! Who cares about the future? Who cares about the past? We're in the PRESENT. Don't let the Man bring you down, dude."

Now Takaya was talking.

"Hehehehehehehe... Hahahahahaha! EW, that's so AMAZING!"Chidori exclaimed.

Minato didn't even want to know what Chidori was drawing. Minato shrugged and held the beer bottle to his mouth. He'd be finding out very soon if he could get drunk.

If you can't beat 'em, get drunk enough to join them.

* * *

**NEXT: Chapter 11: The Dark Side**

* * *

A/N: A hero is not somebody who saves everybody, contrary to belief. Heroes are often thought of near perfect beings that always walk in the light. A hero is just a normal person and, like a normal person, he or she will stumble and fall throughout life. A hero is somebody who can get back up from the depths of despair, who can rise after falling, for the sake of others. A hero finds his meaning in life through both the good and the bad. Sometimes, a hero makes a mistake, a critical error. However, the hero will work to fix it. To be a hero means to have stumbled and fallen, to have failed and to have made mistakes. To be a hero means to find your own meaning in life, your own purpose and beliefs, and to fight for them. Minato... is not a hero. Not yet. But through his errors and the errors of others, he may find the correct path. Life is easy. Living is hard.

Now that my speech is out of the way, I want to clarify a few things. Minato is really strong and a bit overpowered,as you can see. The Shadows he fought did not level him up. Until he faces stronger Shadows, he won't get stronger. So he will only be overpowered for a little bit longer. However, he does possess many tricks to use if he is in a pinch. Yes, Minato has left S.E.E.S. for the time being. He will most likely return. Ikutsuki may or may not know if Minato is really human. However, he does know that Minato at least thinks he's human from all the data he's collected.

Big thanks to The Shard of Flame Ice for betaing!

There's also a poll for the last crossover/new story I'll be doing for the year on my profile page.

And I hoped you guys enjoyed the little omake. It was to cheer you guys up after this downer chapter.

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**MyLifeForAiur:** I liked showing that review to my family on Christmas. It got some laughs :D

**Twin Judge of Gemini:** It does hurt to not know who you are. But... we all have emptiness inside and we all have answers to find. It's part of being human. Minato is learning that lesson the hard way.

**Mzr90: **I know all three of those series. :D Two of them are on a poll on my profile page I'm now doing.

**SuperNova23: **Alice armor... will happen. Too many people want it, including myself. :D

**The Shard of Flame Ice:** Here's Labrys' reaction. However, in a twist that nobody saw coming, none of S.E.E.S. save for Ikutsuki found Minato. I'm speeding up the pace starting next chapter.

**Yuuji Narukami:** Look at your review and then look at the title of the next chapter. Lol. It was unintentional!

**ChaosRune:** Minato... well... his character is going through major development, I guess you could say.

**Vince329:** I'm glad you like it! You don't need to put a criticism. Your support is all I need to keep writing. :D

**mendeskt2:** I shall consider those. I'll be thinking about where they would fit while I listen to them :)

**Leomitch:** Mitsuru and Labrys are both protective in their own way. Mitsuru's protectiveness is more angled towards jealousy, however, and she will protect him that way. Unfortunately, she was doubting herself and Minato, causing her to spout something completely on accident. She didn't mean to do it, it just... happened. Her protectiveness can hurt Minato. Labrys is more protective of Minato as one who owes her current life to him as well he and her being the only active ASWs remaining. This can cause her to disregard others in her goal of protecting Minato.

**Blue Bragon:** Minato is not yet a hero. Every experience he is going through, every encounter, is slowly forging him into one. Right now, this story isn't about a hero. It's more about the creation of one. Minato needs his own ideals, his own beliefs, instead of having something handed to him. While his talks with Ikutsuki did make him more of a hero, he was just talking. He needs to experience everything for himself. I chose the quote at the beginning of the chapter for a reason. Also, hate-sex? Well, that is one outcome, lol. I'd have to turn up the rating for that. As for Minato becoming a hero to alleviate guilt... It was more of something just being handed to him. He recognizes, however, that he tried to be a hero after his parents death because he had failed to save them. But he knows it could have just as easily turned him into a villain if somebody told him to kill the killer of his parents.

**wilson santoso: **Thanks! :) I'll try to do more of Elizabeth's requests in the future.

**SoulBlack**: I'll answer your PM here. Aigis is going to take a big spotlight in the upcoming chapters as well as Labrys. I estimate this story will go on for well over 100 chapters, if only because of the way I write. It may be even longer. And also, I started out just watching an LP of Persona 3 and Persona 4. So... I bought P3P before starting this story and I got P4 for Christmas. Does that surprise you? As for my grammar and whatnot, I'm going over older chapters more in-depth than normal to fix anything that doesn't fit or is wrong. I finished chapter 2 and I'm currently procrastinating when it comes to chapter 3. I'll... get there eventually.

**BlackFang27: **Lol. No Mara Armor then. LET IT BE CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WORLD! And Mitsuru couldn't catch him. Don't worry, though. She and the others will find him eventually.

That's all folks. How many of you expected it to turn out like this?

**Question of the Chapter: **... I don't think I need one for this chapter. I'm sure you all have your own reactions to attend to.

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. **Pretty please with a RAMPAGE DRIVE ON TOP?! AAARGH! IT'S CRUSHING MEEE!


	11. The Dark Side

**Chapter 11: The Dark Side **

**A/N: This chapter will be primarily about Minato, so don't expect to see too much of SEES. Next chapter will focus more on Aigis, Labrys, Mitsuru and the others. **

* * *

**SWS: ? ? ? Part 1**

* * *

I was always weak.

I was smaller, slower, and weaker than everyone else. People always used to manipulate me, bully me, or simply disregard my existence. Those who ignored me were merely giving me mercy. When I would prostrate myself and apologize, they would rub my face in the dirt. When I asked them if they needed help, they would certainly rely on me. And then, of course, kick me out of the way when I was no longer usefull. I would, like the weakling I was, cry and beg their forgiveness while they laughed horribly. Such is the way of the weak. Eventually, I worked up what small semblance of courage I had and asked for help. When I asked my classmates, they ignored me. However, this time it was not out of mercy, but out of a selfish fear. When I went to the police, they thought I was playing pretend. There was no way they would give me the time of day. When I went to my parents... they were busy. Father, of course, was a heavy drunk and my kind mother had to work with certain "gentlemen" for money. But I'll go more into that later. When I went to the teachers for help, for such a thing is standard procedure at a school, they laughed at me, telling me it was all part of life. I didn't understand.

Why would suffering be a part of life? Why would evil be something mundane, something seen everyday? It made no sense. Isn't life supposed to be an adventure? Isn't life often called a grand thing? Isn't life supposed to be the most precious thing a person has? Why must we suffer because we live? Did I do something wrong? Did mankind do something wrong? Who's mistake could I fix to stop life from being like that? Where was the Answer?

As the loser I was, I was unable to understand or even accept the idea that life could be suffering. I merely went out on my happy way, trying to find joy in the little things. Secretly, I hoped to find the answer to my own doubts. I hoped to find a person that could answer my worries and fears. All I needed was one helping hand, one light of hope to cling to in the darkness I was surrounded in. I thought that if I could find that, then my whole world perception could be changed. In fact, it would have been fine even if I was drawn to something darker than the darkness I was in. As long as I could move from my state of unease, I would be happy. So while I waited for a hero or villain to appear, I hung out with my "friends", as they called themselves, who stole my lunch daily and beat me for looking at them oddly. I didn't resist. Even when I was on my hands and knees with tears streaming down my face, I smiled. They laughed and laughed like they always did. It took me a long time to understand why they laughed so much.

Because I was pitiful.

Because I didn't fight back.

Because I was smaller and slower.

Because I had no friends that cared for me.

Because I was the loser who never won at anything.

Because I was the one they could make suffer in a world that made them suffer.

**Because I was weak.**

* * *

**SWS: Part 1 END**

* * *

Junpei stared out the window of his room. He never got to really know Minato. It frustrated him. Minato didn't judge him, didn't call him stupid, didn't even so much as go out of his way to ignore him. Minato was a real bro. Junpei felt like the two of them would have become inseparable if given the time to grow closer. Junpei let out a sigh.

"This... sucks."

He had thought it would be easy being a hero. But it wasn't. Junpei had been too slow. He was too weak. He'd always imagined himself as the hero, but heroes always made it at the last moment, right? They didn't miss the chance to save someone completely. Heroes didn't even try to become heroes. They just... were. Maybe... Junpei needed to try harder to understand what it meant to be able to arrive at the last moment, what it meant to be a hero.

He'd have to get stronger.

Heroes were strong and brave. Heroes protected their bros and defeated evil, sword in hand. And they didn't let their bros down.

"Just you wait, Minato-senpai. When I see you again, you'll see a real hero."

And with that small resolution in his heart, Junepi was able to rest a bit easier.

Although, he had no idea how to become a "true hero".

* * *

Yukari stared at her phone as she sat at her desk.

"I never even got his phone number..." The fact that even though they fought risking their lives together and she never once even asked for his contact information was surprising. And now he was gone. For now, at least, that door was closed. And it was most likely never going to open again. The sting of failing somebody like that when they needed help opened her eyes.

"Was I just... so absorbed with myself? Did I never think he might have problems too?" Yukari asked the empty air. Ever since her father passed away, she'd been so concerned with getting to the bottom of things. So concerned about everything she was struggling with. Her concern with her problems never once hurt somebody before, did they? Did she ever ignore a cry for help to focus on her situation? Sure, she had problems with her mom and the empty void her dad left, but still...

She felt so selfish. When she called Junpei "Stupei" even when he was trying to just be funny... Did it hurt him? Did he have problems too? What about Aigis? When they joined together to investigate about what happened in the past, whose problems was she concerned about? Hers? Aigis'?

She didn't know.

And what about Mitsuru or Akihiko? They seemed smart and strong... but surely they must be hurting somewhere too? Then, finally, Labrys... How many times had Yukari even spoken with her? Twice? Three times? She... must have the same problems as Minato, if not worse. Yukari barely even noticed Labrys. That's how absorbed she was in her own problems. Her friends at school... how well did she know them? They never talked about their problems to each other. It seemed so silly. But she could be hurting them unintentionally. She was careless. What did their problems mean to her in the past? Did she ever used to think they were as important as her own?

All she could do was try harder. Try to care for others first. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to live with herself.

She decided to sleep. There was nothing more she could do for now.

* * *

Junpei and Yukari were the only ones able to gain some semblance of sleep.

Akihiko spent the night training until he could no longer feel his arms. He fell to the ground afterwards, weeping. Losing people was the one thing he was weak to. Despite all his strength, he couldn't use it for its one purpose: To protect those he cared about. Was he supposed to know to use words instead of fists? Conversation instead of strength? Maybe... this was why he failed to convince Shinji to come back.

Labrys searched relentlessly, though she never found him. She made it back to her room with a battery charge of one percent. As soon as she reached ten percent, she began to search again. She couldn't accept her failure so easily. She only had one purpose as far as she was concerned. She couldn't fail it. She couldn't fail. She couldn't.

Aigis lay on her bed listening to music as she stared at the ceiling. She thought of how to share her revelation about what Minato might be, but decided against it. She had no proof. If she told them now, they would doubt her or, even worse, feel even more horrible about not being able to reach him in time. She'd wait until he returned to them and ask him if it was okay. He would return. He wouldn't just leave them. If he signed the same contract as her, he had to take responsibility for his actions. He wouldn't just run away from his responsibility, would he? He wouldn't leave them permanently.

Mitsuru... didn't know what to do for the first time in her life. Because she knew that Minato didn't want to come back. She knew if he didn't want to be found, he couldn't be found. The worst part was she didn't know what to say, what to do, to show him that to all of SEES, no, to her...

He was not _just _a machine.

He was not _just_ a tool or ASW.

He was her hero.

And he always would be.

* * *

Minato was floating in a sea of darkness.

_'I'm dreaming?'_ Those words were the first to come to his mind. He rarely had dreams. Most often they were of the Velvet Room. It was odd how he could somehow dream like this with an inhuman body.

Minato tried to move or direct the way he was floating, but he was failing.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

It was a being similar to him, except for some striking differences. The "skin" on the face of this figure was dark and metallic with no trace of humanity at all. They eyes were a solid red with no pupils or even sclera. There was some sort of amp built into the stomach of the being as well as a silver lyre on its back. However, the rest, the hair, metal and even color scheme, were the same as Minato's.

"Who are you?" Minato asked that, but somehow he already knew the answer.

"I am thou. And thou art I. Orpheus is my name, remember?" Minato nodded. He knew very well that his current body and life was thanks to Orpheus saving him, but still... He didn't want to face him for some reason. He felt a strange terror in the pit of his stomach at the thought of it. He tried to move away from Orpheus, but he was stuck floating in the sea of darkness.

"Why can't I move?" Minato asked, frustrated. Orpheus' expression grew irritated. Orpheus was angry? He could move at least.

"You can't run away here. You cannot run away from yourself. By the gods, you are like a child. When faced with adversity, you flee." Orpheus wasn't using his usual old-fashioned style of speaking. Was this because of how long they had been together? Had Orpheus picked up this style of speech from him? Minato reigned in his straying thoughts.

"Why are you talking to me? How? We never have spoken like this before." Minato asked, curiously.

"Pay attention to me when I'm speaking, young one. Your recent surge of emotions set us more in sync. The pain, sadness, and anger you felt are emotions I know all too well, but enough about that. I called you here to speak to you about your recent cowardly actions." Orpheus was scolding him?

"Cowardly? I'm not a coward. I rush into battle with Shadows fearlessly all the time. If anything, it's more brave to do what I do." Minato responded. He wasn't acting cowardly. There was no way. Orpheus was wrong.

"Fearlessly? Fearlessness is not bravery, young one. Bravery cannot exist without fear. I went to the depths of the Underworld to save my love. I was afraid the entire time. Every step took me closer to death, closer to the place where I would end up if I died, but I did not stop. When corpses reached for me and Hades himself looked down upon me, I still struggled onwards. That is bravery. However, you ran away from home. You're like a spoiled child who can't deal with the fact that the world doesn't cater to him. Mitsuru, the little girl you promised to protect, is abandoned by your own actions. All your friends must be searching desperately for you. I've seen what you seen and I've also noticed what you missed. Each person in SEES cares about your well-being. Are you really so cowardly as to abandon them because you were called one name?" Minato grit his teeth at Orpheus's words. Soon, he found himself standing in the darkness, face-to-face with Orpheus.

"You... You don't know anything. It's not just that one name. It's every damn thing they've said to me. I've finally opened my eyes. They see me as a tool. They've always seen me as a tool. I'm not human to them... All the time we've been together has been a lie. So, shut up. You're not me." Minato said, frustration seeping into his voice. The sea of darkness surrounding them seemed to grow darker.

"I do know. I know everything you do because I _am_ you as much as you are me. We are the same, and you know it. You know I've felt everything you've felt, gone through all the same pain, but even after experiencing the same thing I can tell you are being an idiot! It hurts! It hurts so much! I know! I **know** your pain because I feel it too! But still-"

"Shut up. Stop!"

"You can't just plug your ears and cover your eyes! This is reality! Listen to the people around you!"

"Shut up! I'll do what I want!"

"Boy, you have no idea what you're doing! There's no such thing as a real hero, so stop trying to be one! It's just a damn title!"

"I'm not a hero! I never was! I'm not even human! I'M A TOOL!" Minato was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"**WHEN DID THAT EVER STOP YOU?!**" Orpheus screamed back at him.

"...What?" Minato was at a loss for words.

"You never, ever called yourself human! You never expected anything in return for helping them! If they see you as a machine, then what's changed?! The answer, Minato, is you. You've changed. Look back at SEES. How do you see them? They're your friends, your comrades, the people you love and fight for! You should be proud to be able to fight for those that you care about, not asking for them to understand or accept you for it! How do you think Labrys felt? She must have felt the same as you do right now for longer than you even knew her. Fight for the people you love! Even if they never seem to see you as what you see yourself, you should be happy that you have the strength to protect them..." Orpheus suddenly dropped his head as his shoulders began to shake. If Orpheus could cry, Minato had a feeling he'd be doing it right now.

"Just... don't run away. Don't stop moving forward and never, ever look back. Life isn't perfect. You will get hurt. There is a degree of suffering to life. Sometimes suffering can overcome a person, make them into someone else who will do things they'd never do under normal circumstances. I know that much for certain. Life is... It's an unavoidable battle. But... Minato, you need to be able to bear the pain. And not just yours, but the pain of everyone you care about it **and then some**. That's how one earns that title... that title of **hero**. That's how one is able to truly live." Orpheus said, a sorrowful expression on his face. Orpheus was more expressive than Minato had ever imagined. But, then again, Orpheus had felt everything he had felt uninhibited. It felt... natural for him to be like this.

"I... I can't, at least not right now. I'm not like you... I'm weak... I can't even survive without your body to support me. I-I need to sort out my own feelings first before I do anything." Minato spoke quietly. The sea of darkness grew stronger.

Orpheus smiled gently. "Well, that's okay. Being weak is okay. The fact that you acknowledge your weakness means that you can grow strong, young one. Stronger than any who believes himself to be strong. However, remember: You and I are the same. My strength is your strength. The reverse is also true. You can't deny me because you've already accepted me. But... It would be too much to ask you to change after talking to you once. I can't force you to do anything. While you try to find out how you truly feel, don't stop moving forward. Don't give up on creating bonds with people. Try to create a few more bonds, just to test the water. If they end up causing you nothing but pain, I will never bother you again. In fact, I would endorse whatever actions you took afterwards."

"...And if I choose to kill mankind? To let them die... What will you do then?"

"Help you the best I can. Because the world won't be worth living in anymore if it always hurts. But there's no way it's like that. You have a lot of happy memories, right? There is good with the bad. You know it." Orpheus said, still smiling.

"How... How are you able to smile if you've faced what I have? Why are you so strong? Why are are you so human?" Minato asked frantically. Orpheus smirked as he was pulled away from the sea of darkness surrounding them and into a light that Minato had not seen before.

"Didn't I already tell you? It's because** I'm you**."

"I'm... you... And you... are me? But that's-"

Minato felt himself being pulled towards the light as well. In an instant...

The dream was over.

He'd be waking up in Strega's base and have a simple day in his room, alone. His new home was simply called the Base. It was, of course, underground and hidden. Nobody from SEES could find him there.

And that was what he wanted.

* * *

**April 30th, 2009**

* * *

Minato left his room for the first time since he had arrived at** the Base**.

Although the walls were plain steel, the living room was packed with all sorts of forms of entertainment. A pool table, large flat-screen television, gaming systems of all types, a computer, and a corner of it was covered in all sorts of paints, brushes, and pencils. That was Chidori's corner. She had sat there as soon as they had arrived at the Base and began drawing. Jin went on the computer and Takaya sat in one of the bean bags and began to watch some rather gory horror movies.

None of them talked with each other.

This... was **Strega**.

It was soothing for Minato.

But now he wanted just to try to form a bond... It wouldn't destroy him just to try, right?

He turned the corner and bumped into Chidori who had her hands full of paint brushes, pens, and her notebook.

Her stuff all landed on the floor, scattering everywhere. Minato immediately bent down to help without a second thought.

"Watch where you're going." Chidori scolded him coldly.

"I apologize." Minato took no offense. It was his fault for being so wrapped up in his thoughts.

Chidori sighed irritably as she bent down to help him pick up her things. This was the first time Minato got a good look at the being known as **Chidori Yoshino**. She had red hair brighter than Mitsuru's and dressed in the "gothic-lolita" fashion. Except her clothes were white instead of the usual image of black and white. She even had this strange needle sticking through the back of hair giving her the appearance of being stabbed in the head. She also had thick, metal, spiked braces around her ankles, as if they were restraints. But despite her odd ways and cold demeanor, she seemed to give off a sense of elegance with every action that was far different than what Minato had seen from Mitsuru. This girl was... like him. Of course, Ikutsuki had already told him that, but he never fully understood it until he could see them up close. Takaya and Jin... were they really the same as Chidori and him? Were they all weak like him?

"Could you stop staring?" Chidori asked frostily as she finished cleaning up. Minato thought about it. He really did. While he had given up his previous bonds for now, he could form new ones with people like him. Maybe this place could heal him...

"I apologize. It's just... I haven't formally introduced myself yet. My name is Minato Arisato. I hope that we can work well together in the future." Chidori rolled her eyes and stood to her feet. Minato stood as well. "Would you like me to help you bring this to wherever you are going? That way if you somebody else bumps into you, you won't drop everything again." Minato suggested. Chidori silently walked past him with her things. He began to follow her. Chidori began to speak to him without turning to face him.

"...You may assist me. My name is Chidori Yoshino, as you already know. And do not assume you are welcome here so easily. You are currently still an outsider. You should know your place." Chidori seemed harsh, but even then Minato felt a faint bond forming between him and here. Although she most likely hated bonds for fear of being hurt, at the depth of her being was a need to be close to someone. Minato knew that much. Because he just realized that he felt the same. Maybe... Maybe this one bond was okay... He hoped Orpheus was right.

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Lovers Arcana."_

Chidori and Minato did not talk for the rest of the day except for Chidori giving Minato a quiet thank you before entering her room and locking the door.

Minato began to walk away, but a voice called out from a side hallway.

"Ah, you've finally left your room. It's been a week since we last saw each other, Arisato-san."** Takaya Sakaki** was there, as shirtless as ever. He was an extremely pale individual whose wire-like headband and long hair gave off the impression that he was attempting to pass himself off as Jesus Christ. Although his hair was platinum blond and he wore torn-up jeans and boots... His golden eyes were also strange... The hair and eyes strangely reminded Minato of Elizabeth.

"Yes. I've had much to think about." Minato replied honestly.

"Good. Would you mind letting me give you a little more to think about? I wish to tell you what we seek in Strega." Takaya said as he motioned for Minato to follow him down the hallway. Minato nodded and the two began to walk down the hall that, with the steel walls and lack of decorations, seemed endless.

"You obviously know mankind is suffering. In Strega, we seek **The Fall**. To give mankind what it wants. Death, destruction, and renewal. To bring forth into this world the deity meant to end it all. **Nyx-sama**..." Takaya trailed off with a strange shine in his eyes.

"That's a rather indefinite goal. How do you plan to do it?" Minato asked. It was a vague goal. How did they plan to do it? How could a few humans summon a deity? Takaya laughed.

"Arisato-san, the hard work is already done. We simply need to prevent your **former** 'friends' at SEES from interfering in our plans. They wish to eliminate the Dark Hour. We only need to stop them or bring them to our side. And that is only if they grow to be a threat. The world doesn't need selfish heroes like them." Takaya said, irritated. Minato tilted his head to the side in confusion. Selfish?

"What do you mean?" Minato asked. Takaya stopped in front of a door. They had arrived at their destination.

"I'll tell you inside." Takaya opened the door. It seemed to be a library. There were shelves everywhere, filled to the brim with ancient books and dusty tomes. In the center of the large room was a large circular platform made of metal. Minato and Takaya walked over to the platform. Takaya grabbed a book along the way and tucked under his arm. They stood on top of the platform. Takaya stamped his foot three times against the platform. It started to descend. _'We're already deep underground! How much further can we go? And how did they get the funding for this?' _

"If you're wondering how we got this technology, I beg you to remember our goal. It is **shared by many**. We have funding from some of the wealthiest men and women in the world." Takaya said with a sly smile. He was enjoying showing off all this to Minato, the new recruit. To have a new and powerful believer such as him made him quite happy.

"Why are you trusting me with all this? This seems like it's... secret." Minato said, suspicious.

"Ah, well... If I don't, would you ever understand our pain, our goal? That's my thinking. You are like us, Arisato-san. You belong with us." Takaya said honestly. "And now would be the perfect time to explain what I meant by calling them 'selfish heroes'." He said it as if he had merely forgotten about it for a few moments. "Mankind is weak. _We_ are weak. When somebody strong is born, they latch onto them. That person becomes their hope, their savior, their messiah, and their martyr and their scapegoat. They praise "heroes", but never stand for themselves. They are unable to. When mankind messes up, they wait for help, like a damsel in distress. The world doesn't need a hero that is unwilling to fight for what they desire. They need a messiah that will save them when they ask for it. However, there is no 'Messiah' to save them. So they... the world... ask for _us_. Not them. Not SEES. They want death, not decay."

The elevator reached their destination. It was a brightly-lit laboratory. There were three steel tables next to each other. Large glass tubes filled with a strange green liquid that were large enough to fit a person inside were present. In one of them was **Jin Shirato**, the final member of Strega. Ikutsuki was wearing a lab coat and typing away on a large computer near the tube. He noticed them and seemed to smile brightly.

"Oh, hello there. I'm merely finishing up the adjustment process. I'll be done in a little bit." He turned his attention back to the keyboard. Minato gave Takaya a look of confusion. Takaya noticed and answered his unspoken question.

"As a result of our Personae being forced to awaken, we go through an excruciating amount of pain when we summon them. We use suppressants which are essentially poison as they cause our lifespan to shorten, but we need them in order to stop our Personae from killing us immediately. However, even that is not enough. Every day we must go through adjustment. We bathe in a sort of medicine that helps to stabilize our conditions. This process needs to be done for us due to the extreme nature of the experiments that happened to us when we were children. It is excruciatingly painful. We are trapped in a paralyzed state where we feel all the pain as every nerve in our nervous system is stimulated. We cannot scream. We cannot cry out. We cannot move during this process. It is hell. And it is life. Do you understand even a fraction of our pain yet, Arisato-san?" Takaya asked.

Minato didn't know how to respond. They were slowly being killed and had to feel pain worse than death everyday to live. Their own Personae were killing them. It was as if they were forced into a slow suicide. And all these experiments that made them like this were done by people who wanted to save the world.

"I... probably could never understand. But, at the very least, I know that you suffer..." _'and it makes me want to save you.' _For some reason, Minato could not finish his sentence. How could he possibly save them? Wasn't that the job of a hero? Sure, he was a unique existence with a deeper connection to his Persona than anybody else (he had Orpheus' body!), but that didn't mean he could do anything about it. However, he still had this feeling somewhere deep inside him that he could save these people. Just like they would save him.

Takaya smiled.

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Hierophant Arcana."_

Well, that was... it wasn't really that unexpected. Minato, having already made a bond with Chidori, resigned himself to it. This person... He felt they had things to teach each other. He wasn't going to expect anything out of this bond. He would make sure to be ready to be betrayed at any point in time.

"Well, as they say, knowing is half the battle. Unfortunately, you don't know enough." Ikutsuki said as he stepped away from the console he had been typing into. He motioned to Takaya who then handed Minato the book he had taken from the library. "This is the heavily annotated volume of** Hesiod's _Theogeny_**. It's previous owner was the founder to our cause known as **Koutesu Kirijo**. The grandfather of Mitsuru Kirijo and founder of the Kirijo Group." Minato took the book.

Mitsuru's... grandfather? He wanted the world to end? Minato looked over the book. It was old. The age it had behind it seemed to give it a mystical power over him. He really wanted to read it.

"Read it. Learn a fraction about Nyx-sama and then you'll see the truth. Oh and I want you to keep something in mind whenever you doubt our goals." Minato titled his head curiously at the smiling Ikutsuki. "If they want life, feel they deserve it, then they should stand for themselves. It should be something you see every day. So, I want you to think about something: What do people see everyday? Do they see people willing to live, or a slowly dying species?" With that, Ikutsuki turned his back and went back to his work.

Takaya and Minato went back to the elevator.

When he arrived back into his room, Minato opened the book and began to read the notes on the inside of the cover.

* * *

_"I write these notes not for myself, but for every single person out there who is alone. For every single person who is weak, who has been betrayed. I write it for mankind. In this book are both truths and lies. I have spent my entire life pointing out which one is which, deciphering the truth hidden in this work. At first, you could call it a hobby. A game to see if I could show myself to be better than even the ancient Greeks. _

_I was out to disprove the existence of deities._

_It was maddening, truly maddening, to attempt to do this. Because I couldn't prove everything false. I had no proof. Logic was one approach, but I could not disprove Nyx, who was the first deity I began with. It was when I was at the pinnacle of my frustration, that I had a dream. I saw it._

_The Fall. The end of mankind as we know it. _

_It was glorious. It wasn't just a death. It was a rebirth, another chance. As a young boy, I had been forced to go into business. And business... was brutal. The amount of tears I shed and made others shed was ungodly. I watched men get beaten and broken by other men. Women were raped or forced into prostitution to feed their children. Children were left starving and dying in the streets. If they survived, they would become the men and women who would either get beaten or beat others down. "Heroes" came and went, but the people themselves never stood for change. They merely went back to their routines of beating and being beaten. The world was disgusting._

_Mankind was a disease. _

_The dream awakened me. It opened my eyes, even in my slumber. _

_There is no salvation for us. There is no savior. There is no Messiah. _

_But Nyx, the primordial deity of the night, does exist. And her power can wipe the slate clean, allow us to start anew. That much I was able to prove._

_To whoever is reading this, I ask you one question._

_Do you look out into the world and enjoy the wars, rapes, and beatings that occur?_

_If you do, I suggest you close this book now._

_But, if you don't... Then I beg you to give the world its second chance._

_Give mankind what they desire in the heart of hearts. _

_Give them death, or let them fester and rot until rebirth is no longer possible._

_The choice is yours._

_To help the weak, one must get rid of the term 'weak'. To stop betrayal, one must create a world where such a thing is unfathomable. To save mankind, one must restart it... with all of the lessons of the previous world. Now... will you join me as you read this text? Will you create a new world with me?_

_~Koutesu Kirijo"_

* * *

Minato closed the book and set it to the side.

He was completely silent as he dropped his head into his hands. He was such a mix of emotions. Everything that had happened came crashing down on him once again.

Bonds.

Betrayal.

Weakness.

Strength.

Life.

Death.

Love.

Hate.

He didn't know anything. If a hero defends the weak, no... Why does the hero defend the weak? Why do the weak even exist? Why are they weak? Why does the hero feel he has to defend the weak? Why doesn't everyone just defend everyone from everyone?

It was maddening.

_"Life isn't perfect. You will get hurt."_ Orpheus' words echoed in Minato's head.

_'Yes, but why can't life be perfect?' _Minato responded to nobody.

_"It's just a damn title!"_

_'Why does that title even exist?' _

"Damn it... What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be?"

And Minato, for just the briefest of moments, wished he was back with his friends at S.E.E.S. where he could simply go back to being naive...

* * *

"We should cancel the contract. He's running away." Igor said aloud. Philemon smiled at his old "friend".

"No... Let us see how this all plays out. Maybe it will be a happy ending. Besides, think about Elizabeth. How would she react if you were to suddenly end it like this? Under no circumstances are we to cancel this contract. Even if he violates it to the most extreme measure, we must not cancel it." Philemon said with an air of finality.

"This is... odd. I've never seen you like this before. The closest I ever saw was back with Tatsuya Suou, but even then you didn't interfere as much. What's happening?" Igor asked with a slight undertone of desperation. Yet, he also felt excitement. In his heart, he had grown bored over the years. Nothing ever changed. Heroes came and went, simply fusing Personae. But now...

"Times are changing. Everything is." Philemon announced as he began to open one of the doors of the Velvet Room. He stepped through, leaving Igor alone.

_'Why? Why are you changing the policies? Why did you come back so suddenly, Master?'_

* * *

Two figures watched on, alone. They were surrounded in darkness.

"It almost happened. He almost succumbed to his Shadow. We need to tread more carefully. We won't get another chance like this. We have to make sure to push him in the right direction."

One of the figures was sitting down, a scowl on their face.

"Lighten up! C'mon, I doubt he'll fall so easily to something like that. Plus, he has me watching his back. He has nothing to worry about. And it's funny to watch him. He's so different, yet so similar, y'know?"

The other figure was cheery and wanted to bring the mood up. It was bad when the other figure would make the sort of expression..

"Yes. I know. It is just... he is the only one to have gained access to at least 3 of the doors. He is the only one to able to grant this selfish wish of mine."

"Selfish? No, you're not selfish. You're merely... changing destiny for the better. Trying to get the happy ending."

* * *

**Omake: Stegadventures: Chidori's Free Time**

* * *

_"And then the blue-haired boy, Minata, drew closer to that golden-eyed lion, Taka. This was to be their fated meeting, their union. _

_'I-I'm not ready yet.' The boy responded. _

_The golden-eyed Taka stood up from the bed. In his deep, manly voice, he assured the boy, 'It'll be okay. It's just your first time.'_

_'Taka... I can always count on yo-" _

"Chidori-san! We've got a job!" The sudden voice at the door made Chidori jump and spread her arms protectively over the monitor of her computer in her room. She turned her head to look at who was there.

Jin had just entered her room rudely. He tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"I-It's not fanfiction!" Chidori exclaimed, blushing furiously. Jin laughed.

"I never said it was. But now I'm intrigued. What are you writing? How many fandoms are you in? Do you have a tumblr account?" Jin started to list off a series of websites and fandoms rapid-fire. Chidori had almost forgotten how much this guy was interested in the internet.

"It's nothing!" Chidori yelled as she tried to push him out of the door. Jin looked over his shoulder and slyly winked. He pushed up his glasses.

"Ah, so it's BL. You know... yaoi, slash, that sort of thing. It's fine... as long as me and Takaya are in it." And with a creepy smile, he left.

Chidori was left speechless.

"...What..."

* * *

**NEXT: The Coming Battle**

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys... I'm back... Hope you don't hate me for the long cliffhanger... School is slowly dying off... Just a few more months and then there will be an explosion of chapters, hopefully. There's a bit of Wangst (well, a lot of it) with Strega, but it is intentional. Completely and utterly intentional Tropes Are Tools right here. EDIT: The mystery SWS in this chapter is **not Minato.** It is also not Junpei. Have fun guessing who is it.

Oh and thanks to The Shard of Flame Ice for betaing this chapter once more.

Anyway... I'll just generally address reviews instead of specifically right now. I'm not feeling up to responding to everybody's. I'm very tired. Long week. I do read every review though, so thank you for the support. I couldn't write this story without you guys (well, I could, but it wouldn't be as good or as fun).

One person asked about the Role of the Reaper. Well, the Reaper plays one of the biggest plot parts in the entire story. It will be revealed in time.

One person said to make Minato something unforgivable... Well, I'm not just going to make him do something like murder Shinji, right?

Minato: You better not.

Yeah... if it happens, it happens.

Minato will meet other NPCs in the future, so you peeps can look forward to that as well.

Also, I'm going to grey up this Minato so much. Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Oh and to the person who said they would bear my children: Keep in touch ;) Lol.

**Question of the Chapter: Who do you want as Minato's Star Link? Not the default guy. **

And with that...

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW. **Pretty please with crazy Koutesu Kirijo on top?


	12. The Coming Battle

**Chapter 12: The Coming Battle**

* * *

**A/N: Hey. I'm back. Just want to say that the whole SEES vs S.E.E.S. thing depends on whose point of view is being focused on. It's been a bit inconsistent and that is my reason why. Oh and I'm now putting SWSs where they are convenient. So you might see part 1 of something, but might not see part 2 until ten chapters later. Also, in case you haven't noticed, Aigis is very different from the canon. Human!Aigis is a completely different person with different experiences. I hope you keep that in mind. UPDATE: Improved grammar and flow along with a few additions.**

**ONTO THE STORY!**

* * *

**SWS: Aigis Part 1**

* * *

When I was a kid, I never fit in. It seems almost cliché when I say it like that, but its true. I could tell you tons of stories of foster parents who hated me, school children who picked on me or isolated me. I could tell tons of things about the past I do remember, but I won't. It's boring and stupid.

Do I hate my past?

Yes, at first. I hated how different I was. I hated that I couldn't help but scowl every time I looked in the mirror. I didn't live in America. Japan is nowhere near as diverse. If you stand out at all, then you _really_ stand out. It takes a lot to stand out in America. It takes nothing to stand out in this country other than a different hair and eye color. Yeah, I know I never went to America, but I've read books. I'm actually better with English than Japanese, ironically. Add that to another part of me that's weird. Apparently, I learn _too_ fast. Like some sort of supercomputer. I've never used a supercomputer, so I can't quite verify that though.

No, you're not a supercomputer. I bet you wish you were. Then you'd get better grades than me.

I made occasional friends, so don't worry. I was never constantly depressed or whatever. My past isn't that melodramatic. It was more towards the "normal" type of childhood than you might think. I like that sense of normalcy. You know what's funny? People say how sometimes I'm quiet or introverted, but I could always open up with friends. I could be an extrovert with my friends and an introvert when I was alone. How's that for normal? It's almost like my friends give me the courage to be open. They gave me the strength to be myself, to be a regular kid like them. I've never been one to believe in that sappy stuff, but I've lived it. It's kind of hard to ignore it.

You want to know about everything I can remember? From the start?

It won't bore you?

You're sure?

Really sure?

Hahaha! Fine, fine...! I guess I can tell you. After all, we're friends, right?

And right now you're giving me the courage to be more open.

* * *

**SWS: Aigis Part 1 End**

* * *

Minato sat in his room. He'd been reading that book Ikutsuki had given him. The annotations on the inside looked like the scrawlings of a madman, yet there was a profound knowledge and confidence behind them. Was the founder of the Kirijo Group like this? Did he really create the company for the sake of bringing forth the end? Did... did he really think it would be better if the world ended? Would it be better if the world was 'reborn'? Would that stop new problems from starting up again?

...Did Mitsuru and Takeharu Kirijo know? They probably did. Mitsuru always...

Minato shook his head. He didn't want to think about her. At least not yet.

He decided to check his Social Links, to try and discern what he was missing, what it was that was stopping him from going past rank four in anything.

Elizabeth said it would come with time, right?

What could he possibly have misse-

When did he get the **Star** **Arcana** as a Social Link?

* * *

Aigis walked home alone. It had been a little over a week since Minato's disappearance. Since then she had formed the Hierophant link with the old couple that ran the local bookstore and the Magician link with Junpei's friend Kenji (the boy was weird and awkward, but apparently saw her as the 'little sister' type with her short height. Bastard. Aigis was sensitive about her height. That's why she was such good friends with Yukari, who was shorter than her. Although most Japanese were not known for being the tallest, wasn't she enough like a foreigner to grow taller?) And apparently Junpei was trying to play matchmaker. Kenji had a thing for older women, so Junpei sought to help him out... by pairing him with Aigis... who was younger...

Aigis didn't really like Junpei that much.

For the most part, the younger members of SEES were fine. They had not known Minato long enough to be fully affected by his absence. However, his leaving left an impression on everybody. Aigis, however, had confidence that Minato would return. He didn't seem like the type of guy to run away.

As for the senpais, they were somber. Akihiko seemed less cheerful, but still seemed normal. In fact, he was actually trying to talk to people more. Labrys and Mitsuru, having known him the longest, were the most affected. The two seemed... distant. A gap had formed between the two of them. Aigis had no idea how they would ever bridge it without Minato coming back. Yukari seemed more concerned for others and Junpei started "hitting the gym" recently. Akihiko was very excited by this news. So excited that Junpei was almost starting to regret ever saying the word "gym".

Aigis sighed. They could stop worrying about this all. Minato was okay. He wasn't dead or anything. As for her, she just needed to focus on her current goal. She needed to learn about her past. Who were her parents? Did she really have no other family? Did they really die like the Kirijo Group said they did? She was working her way through old newspapers daily to try to find out.

"Hey, Aigis-chan!" Yukari asked cheerily as she jogged up beside her. Aigis raised a hand in greeting. Everybody just called her by her first name. Aigis told them to, of course. She hated her last name, Kubomi. Kubomi meant hollow, cavity, dent, or a depression of some kind. It was like saying she's missing something or is damaged in some way. Aigis supposed it could be true with how she's missing her past, but still... It felt like an insult.

"Hello, Yukari-san. What is it?" Aigis asked politely. Yukari seemed to have a certain fire in her eyes as she pointed at Aigis excitedly.

"I want to go to Tartarus tonight! Let's go!" Yukari said with a big smile. Aigis sighed tiredly. Yukari was suspiciously acting like Junpei. Normally, she didn't want to go to Tartarus. If she did, she stressed caution more often than not.

"Was it because of Edogawa-sensei's lesson today? It's okay to not know the answer for his stuff. I don't think he even know what he's talking about half the time," Aigis replied as she rolled her eyes. However, part of her felt that for some reason what Edogawa was saying could be applied to their own journeys into Tartarus. The whole "Arcana" thing especially. It was eerie.

Yukari dropped her head down, seemingly losing all her energy. Suddenly, her feet seemed very interesting.

"No... I-It's not because I'm just stressed. We need to stop the Dark Hour!" She said as she lifted her head up, regaining her energy.

"Bullshit. You're acting like Iori-san now," Aigis deadpanned. While Aigis typically didn't swear, she felt she could open up more when close to somebody. Yukari was her friend, one of the few she had. Junpei... was an acquaintance.

"Huh. Guess there's no way around you. You're very direct, you know. You always get straight to the point. I like that. You're my kind of girl, you know," Yukari suddenly blushed up, realizing what she just said.

"Uhm, I didn't mean it like that, okay?" Yukari said, her face red. Under her breath she added, "Stupid Minato-senpai! You put such a weird thought in my head earlier!"

Aigis, thinking back to when she met Minato in the hospital, could hardly contain her laughter. So she didn't.

"Ahahahaha!"

"Hey, that's not funny! You know I'm not like that, right?!"

_"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooseth to create a Persona of the Lovers Arcana."_

Neat.

"There's nothing wrong with being lesbian, Yukari_-chan_. I mean, it makes sense. You're always turning down boys' love letters. You'll have to try harder if you want to capture _me_, though," Aigis said jokingly with a sly wink. Yukari shook her head, face red.

"Usually you're much more quiet and half asleep. Man, I regret getting you coffee this morning. You're relentless," Yukari replied. Aigis walked with a bounce in her step. She did a small twirl as she practically skipped forward.

"I feel so energetic! I can do anything! My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!" Aigis proclaimed as she stood and posed, pointing towards the sky. Yukari shook her head.

"How has that coffee not worn off yet?" Yukari said to herself.

Little did she know, Aigis had at least three energy drinks currently in her school bag.

* * *

When Aigis and Yukari got home, Mitsuru was sitting there in the lobby, reading a book.

Her eyes were red and puffy as she looked at the book. Instead of it being some fancy, French book (as was the norm), it had a blank cover. There was no title, oddly enough.

She'd been an absolute mess since Minato left.

Apparently, they were childhood friends and hardly went a day without seeing one another. Without a constant like him in her life and with Labrys being pissed off at her, she must feel alone. Aigis knew the feeling. Moving around from place to place, never settling down... there was a loneliness to it all. Eventually, though, Aigis got accustomed to that feeling. Rather than hurting, it was simply there. Aigis felt apathetic when it came to parting ways. Mitsuru, however, was not like Aigis. In many ways, the mature senpai was acting very much like a child. Aigis almost felt like Minato's constant presence was to blame for that. If Mitsuru had grown up alone, then she could have handled the parting easily.

"We're home, senpai," Aigis cautiously called out.

"Welcome... back," Mitsuru said quietly. The whole 'Ice Queen' personality that she put on worked mostly at school. Whenever she got home, Mitsuru was just... depressed. It was expected. She blamed herself for everything. According to Akihiko, that was just her personality. She shouldered everything as the overall 'leader' of the group. Aigis thought it wasn't right. Even if it was Mitsuru's fault, she needed to move on. Moping about it would do nothing. It would only cause her insides to fester.

Mitsuru was, from what Aigis saw, supposed to be the strong leader of the group. However, this was just pitiful. It made Aigis angry, seeing Mitsuru like this. It would've made Aigis angry if she saw anybody else moping for days on end. Life moves on. Mitsuru was just too scared to go into the future alone. That sort of weakness... it caused the strangest flare of indignation in Aigis.

"Senpai?" Aigis called out once more.

"Y-yes?' Mitsuru replied, not even looking at Aigis.

"The past is the past. If you spend all your time in it, then how can you look at the present and future? He'll be fine. He's not dead. If he doesn't come back, then he doesn't come back. But it would be his choice. What do you think he would say if he saw you moping like this? Do you think he'd be happy? That he'd approve? Moping never helps anyone. It just makes everything worse. Suck it up, get a grip. We all lose friends and family, but at least he's alive. You have absolutely nothing to cry about. Mope when he's dead. Right now, you should be trying to live independently. So what if it's your fault he left? You are the one that needs to fix the problem that you created. He's not just going to walk back here for no reason. Why don't you try to give him one?" Aigis said before walking away. Yukari hurriedly moved up to walk beside her.

Yukari opened her mouth to ask a question, but Aigis cut her off.

"Anime and personal experience. That's where that particular speech came from," Aigis said flatly as they began to climb the stairs.

"Aigis-chan... You're good. Way to tell her. You've got a way with words. You should speak more often," Yukari complimented.

"What would I talk about? Do you want me to just make speeches all day? Or do you want me to talk about your attraction to women?" Aigis said with a wink. Yukari pouted.

"Shut. Up."

* * *

Mitsuru sat alone after Aigis left. Her words made sense, though part of Mitsuru didn't want to see it. Wallowing in guilt... she wanted to be melancholy and guilty just another moment longer. She knew she was to blame...

But shouldn't she be concerned for Minato's happiness?

He probably was happy, wherever he was. As long as she comforted herself with that, it was fine. Mitsuru thought herself to be a terrible friend. There was nothing she could do to bring him back. If he decided to leave forever, it would be his choice and she'd have to respect it. She didn't own him. He was his own person and people parted ways eventually.

Wasn't that what she was supposed to think?

She wanted to bring him back. She needed to bring him back.

Would he come back?

However, she knew that it was worthless trying to think any of this. It was worthless to deny her own feelings. In this, her head had no say in the matter. It was her heart that screamed loudly, that cried still.

She needed Minato back... No...

Mitsuru just hoped Minato would take her back...

She was the one left behind. She couldn't dare even look for him. What would she say? What would she do? If she wanted him to not hate her, then it would be best to not look for him.

Mitsuru suddenly through her book across the room. It smashed against the wall and fell apart, the pages fluttering to the ground like plucked feathers. She dropped her head into her hands and grasped her hair tightly.

_'Damn it! Pull yourself together! You're Mitsuru Kirijo! You are the foundation of S.E.E.S.!'_

She grit her teeth and began to turn her despair into something new. Something usable. Part of her just refused to be useless anymore.

_'Why am I the one that has to care? Why am I the one that's broken up about this?! Minato doesn't care! He probably hates us all! Well, good riddance! S.E.E.S. does not need you, M1N470 or Minato Arisato or whatever the hell you're called! You need us! You need S.E.E.S.! I won't search for you! I'll wait for you to come back to us, to me! Then you can apologize and I might let you back in! To hell with everything! I lead S.E.E.S.! I am the leader! I don't need you! I don't need anyone! When you come back, I'll Execute you like never before! I'll hold you like never before! But until then, I am Mitsuru Kirijo, heiress of the Kirijo Group, Founder and Leader of S.E.E.S., Student Council President of Gekkoukan High School and I am the one who will stop the Dark Hour! I don't need anybody else to do it!'_

While the rage did manage to get her back into working order, her feelings did not feel like they were her own anymore. Mitsuru knew perfectly well that she was to blame for Minato's disappearance, or at least partially. However, rage was her only option left. It was like a cheap bandage that would put her back together temporarily. Rage moves people to action. Despair sucks out their life. Anger can create new countries and governments. Hopelessness can destroy a people. Fury can create change. Depression can kill it. For Mitsuru, there was only one option.

Change.

If she didn't change with the changing world, she'd be left behind and would break.

She couldn't let herself be dependent anymore. She'd been far too dependent upon Minato for years.

Mitsuru would change herself.

After all, she hated the damsel in distress. She hated girls that couldn't think for themselves. Mitsuru was top of her class for a reason. Mitsuru was always the type to see her objective first.

How could she have possibly forgotten that?

* * *

Junpei punched the bag one more time, with all his strength. His fist sank deep into the bag, but the bag itself didn't move. Akihiko and he were at the gym, working out together. Getting stronger.

"Damn it! Why am I so weak?!" He exclaimed, frustrated with his inability to do anything to the bag. Akihiko shook his head. Akihiko always shook his head.

"Listen, Junpei, an injury of that caliber can't be healed so easily. You quite the baseball team for a reason, remember?" Akihiko said worriedly. Junpei dropped his head.

_'Damn it, Dad! Why'd you have to... It's all your fault!'_ Junpei mentally screamed as he brought his fist back and then continued to pummel the bag, ignoring the pain that shot all up and down his right arm. He ignored it all. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists so hard he would be bleeding if it weren't for the fact he wore gloves to protect him. He considered tearing off the gloves and punching until his hands became raw.

Suddenly, his arms suddenly stopped and he was unable to swing them anymore. He twisted his head, a snarl on his face. What kind of bastard dared to st-

It was Akihiko restraining him, his arms looping underneath Junpei's arms and holding them back. Junpei looked around the gym to see what had been happening. Everyone else in the gym was staring at him.

"You've been screaming in pain, Junpei-san. There's only so much regular doses of Dia can do. It'll be healed in time. This isn't an anime where you can just solve all your health problems by breaking your limit through will. If you break your physical limit in real life, you die. You need to rest before you tear your arm apart," Akihiko said as he held onto Junpei firmly.

Junpei dropped his head once more and let his tense body relax. Akihiko let go. Junpei grabbed his towel off the top of the bag.

"Let's just go home," Junpei said as he sighed, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his hat.

* * *

**Dark Hour**

* * *

"Hey, Aigis-chan? Can I ask you something?" Junpei asked the short blond in front of him. They were outside of Tartarus. Akihiko was leading them in as Mitsuru had "business to attend to". They knew nothing more than that. Aigis turned her head towards him, a bored expression on her face.

Aigis always had that expression when he was around since he tried to set her up with Kenji. Junpei got the sinking feeling she had a growing dislike for him. He thought of Yukari as a bad influence on her. The two were practically always together at school. However, Aigis would go out on her own quite often after school. When Junpei asked her, she said she was going to a book store! What kind of teenager went to a book store after school?! Junpei was convinced she had no social life. Kenji would be good for her!

"What is it, Iori-san?" She replied tiredly. Yukari and Akihiko were over on the side watching, interested as to what he could possibly be asking of Aigis before they enter Tartarus.

"Can I be team leader for a change? I mean, it's not like you have to always take the burden, right?" Junpei asked, trying to hide a grin.

Aigis shrugged. It didn't matter to her what position she held. The only reason she really held it was because nobody else really fit the role currently. Minato was gone, so he couldn't take it. Mitsuru was emotionally unstable (or, as she liked to call it, was busy). Akihiko really didn't care and Yukari couldn't handle the pressure. Aigis wanted to see what Junpei could possibly do as the leader.

"Whatever. Sure, you can do it. What's the worst that could possibly happen?" Aigis said with a shrug. Only moments later, she'd realize...

She really shouldn't have said that.

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Later**

* * *

"Worst trip to Tartarus ever," Yukari said as they sat in the lobby of Tartarus, covered in injuries. Everyone, except for Junpei, nodded.

Because Junpei was unconscious and being healed by Akihiko. Yukari didn't even want to try to heal Junpei's injuries. They were so bad that the inexperienced Yukari feared she might actually make it worse. Healing required a certain mastery, after all.

"Well, he tried his best. I never thought he'd keep leading us into dead ends, though. We're lucky Mitsuru told us not to climb any higher without her to provide us with information. We were also fortunate that Aigis-san remembered the weaknesses of the Shadows, but Junpei..." Akihiko trailed with a disappointed sigh. He was crouched over Junpei, making sure to focus on healing the most injured areas first while he stopped the bleeding by applying pressure to some of the multiple gashes all over Junpei with several rags. One hand held his Evoker to his head while the other held the rags to Junpei. Aigis was nearby him, applying pressure to some of Junpei's other wounds. Yukari just stood there, watching with horrid fascination. They were all injured, but Junpei had almost been torn apart by the Shadows.

They'd passed him back and forth, literally juggling him in the air with their attacks after Junpei told everyone to go on ahead because "he could handle it".

"I think we'll not let Iori-san be the leader next time. Is everybody okay with me being in charge for the time being?" Aigis asked the group.

"Yeah. Please take charge again, leader-san!" Yukari said happily.

"You're much better at it than the rest of us probably are. Yeah. Go for it," Akihiko encouraged with a smile.

"Yo..u... c...an...lead...for...now..." Quiet, broken-up words escaped Junpei's lips as he breathed heavily.

Everyone just sighed as they shook their heads.

"Ha...um...Just...joking...guys...Haha...I'll...ge ...t..stronger...first...and...smarter...then...th en I'll be... the leader," Junpei managed to let out before he passed out again.

"Let's all agree to not let Junpei lead ever again. I mean, if Aigis-chan can't come and there needs to be a new leader... Let's not choose Junpei," Yukari suggested.

"Although, to be fair. He didn't have Mitsuru as guide," Aigis brought up.

"He won't be leader," Yukari and Akihiko said simultaneously.

Aigis sweat-dropped.

While she didn't like Junpei that much, she had to at least admire his spirit. It must have been extremely painful for him to talk, yet he pushed through with his own will. He pushed through everything with his will. He was the most wounded because he protected the others with his body. It was hard for Akihiko and Yukari to notice, but Aigis noticed it. It was possible he could lead someday. Maybe it wouldn't be this year and maybe not with S.E.E.S., but Junpei could be a leader. He had a way of getting people's attention and a confidence and charisma like few others. With the right people, Junpei could be a leader. There was a lot he still had to learn and he had to curb his arrogance, but him being the leader of something big one day was a possibility.

Aigis learned that day that she didn't not like Junpei.

It was really more of a neutral feeling.

As they left Tartarus, only Akihiko noticed the silhouette slip by them.

* * *

**May 1st, 2009**

* * *

Labrys weaved her way through the crowds, her hood tugged tightly over her head. It didn't take long for her to figure out that charging straight ahead would not find Minato. Minato needed to not see her coming. If he was as hurt as she thought, he'd run away at the first sight of her. Since he hasn't sought them out yet, then he must not be ready to face them. Labrys knew in her heart he'd come back if she could simply talk to him. She walked straight past the police station and into the alley next to it. She had a meeting to attend to. She wore a black hoodie, black skirt with blue-grey streaks in it and knee-high socks. She would've gone with pants to cover her metal, but they restricted movement too much for her.

Standing there was Officer Kurosawa, a cigarette in his mouth as he leaned against the side of the alley. He blew out a puff of smoke as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"It's funny. My wife hates it when I smoke, but when a situation gets stressful we both take a puff. Guess that tells you something about desperation," Kurosawa said with a dry laugh. Labrys removed her hood. She didn't see Minato in the crowd, so there was no point in wearing it for the moment. She shook her head, letting her hair take its original shape after being shoved under a hood. It took a lot of work for her hair to actually fit in the hood. Labrys didn't know how human girls ever pulled it off on a regular basis.

"Have you heard anything today, Kurosawa-san?" Labrys asked the police officer. Kurosawa sighed as he lowered his cap even more.

"I've been searching for your leader for the entire week, Kizonku-san," Kurogawa stated, using Labrys' fake last name, "He's nowhere to be found. I even resorted to some of my more... _unsavory_ contacts to try to find him. Nothing. Either he's not in the country, he's locked himself inside somewhere, or he vanished off the face of the Earth. I don't know what to tell you, kid. He must be pretty important to you if you keep checking up on progress everyday, though," Kurosawa said as he took another puff from his cigarette. Labrys began to put her hood on once more.

"He's very important to me, Kurosawa-san. Without him, I'll be all alone. And... I don't want to be alone. He's the one person that can't disappear. He's the one that matters. I'll... come again tomorrow. You better have something for me then," Labrys said, the shadow of her hood covering her eyes in darkness. Kurosawa chuckled as Labrys walked off.

"Young love, huh? I've never seen a girl so smitten. That Minato Arisato is one lucky guy. I hope he realizes that fact," Kurosawa commented to himself before dropping his cigarette and putting it out with his foot. He walked out of the alley and into the police station next door. It was time for work again. Kurosawa sighed as he walked in. Labrys didn't want any major 'missing person' search. That's why she went straight to him. She wanted to find him first without anybody else getting in her way. She wanted his location, but didn't want anybody else but her to go and retrieve him if they saw the chance. It was annoying with the conditions she set.

_'I have to give that girl credit. Not only did she get that list from Edogawa, she also used it to guilt-trip me. So much for me finally being able to move on with feigned ignorance. And here I thought the Kirijo Group would actually be able to hide my identity. #31 is very manipulative, apparently,'_ Kurosawa thought tiredly.

He also shouldn't have designed that axe she carries to be so deadly. She could probably kill him in a heartbeat if she wanted. It was incredibly irritating when she first held to his throat to get him to help her. If he didn't agree, she might not have killed him... or maybe she would have. Guilt-trip could only take her so far, after all. She could probably still kill him during one of their meetings.

Unless he was properly prepared, of course.

Which he almost always was. Let it be known that Officer Kurosawa was not one to be taken lightly.

* * *

Labrys sighed as she sat down at the desk in her room, alone. It was a rather spartan room, but it had at least a few things to give it a sense of life. She had only a black, flat recharging station (it was rather state of the art. All she had to do was lay down on it and it started charging her. Mitsuru and Minato even got her blankets and a pillow to make it seem like a bed), and a desk in case she needed somewhere to write something. Her axe was propped up against one of the room's corners and the white husky plushie that Minato had gotten her as a present years ago was on her recharging station/bed. Mitsuru had gotten her a few books that were organized neatly on Labrys' desk.

_'Mitsuru...'_ Labrys internally sighed as she leaned back in her chair, draping one arm over it as she did so. Things had been... not good between her and Mitsuru lately. Labrys wasn't still mad or anything and she was fairly certain Mitsuru wasn't mad at her. It was just that Minato had sort of bound them together for years. There was an empty spot in their trio and that spot was what really connected Mitsuru and Labrys. They both missed him greatly and, despite her not being mad, Labrys had still not quite forgiven Mitsuru for hurting Minato. Even if it was unintentional.

_'Well, she's only human. She can't understand us to begin with,'_ Labrys thought with the barest of smiles. That's right. Labrys and Minato were the last of their kind. They were meant to always be together. And even if they weren't, Labrys would make it so. No matter how far Minato ran, Labrys would be there, running alongside him. They could understand each other. They were the only ones that could understand each other. Humanity was overrated. Labrys was finding herself more and more proud of being an ASW. It tied her to Minato and... there were many benefits to being a non-human.

She could not starve.

She could not thirst.

She could not age.

Labrys could live a life that many humans only dreamed of.

But she needed Minato to live that life with her... or else there would be no point to it all.

Labrys didn't know what love was, but she couldn't find any other word in her data banks for what she felt towards Minato. That want to be close to somebody forever... Always thinking about that special person and feeling so embarrassed that you could die just by being around them... Something so beautiful yet painful whenever she was alone... Was there any other word but love to describe it? Labrys only hoped that Minato felt the same way. If he didn't, she'd have to make him fall for her. But first, she'd have to tell him how she felt. Labrys promised to herself that she'd tell him everything when they next met. She'd apologize for not telling him and warning him of getting too close to humans, tell him how she felt and how long she felt it, and maybe, just maybe, the two of them could... become a couple. Maybe they could stop being weapons, stop being so closely tied to death, and simply... love each other.

That night, she held her the white husky plushie close to her as she recharged.

While ASW's didn't experience REM sleep and go through the process of sorting through various memories in the forms of dreams, it didn't stop Labrys from having dreams of her own.

* * *

**May 2nd, 2009**

* * *

"The hell is this?" Junpei complained loudly as he entered the lobby of the dorm. Yukari sighed. Why did Junpei always have to be so loud? Aigis was reading a book off on the other couch. Yukari couldn't quite make out the title, but it appeared to be some sort of manga. Aigis seemed to be into it and didn't care who knew. Yukari thought it was rather childish, but didn't say anything to her friend.

"What are you complaining about now, Junpei-kun?" Yukari replied as she stared at the TV. There was nothing but celebrity gossip on. Not the best, but Yukari was okay with it. She turned her attention briefly to Junpei to see him holding several pieces of paper.

"Kirijo-senpai's mad with power! Haven't you guys heard? Demerits and suspensions are being handed out like fliers in a mall! Kirijo-senpai's put out a quota for all the members of the Student Council and I hear she's even building a big Disciplinary Committee!" Junpei shouted.

Yukari could hardly believe what Junpei was saying. Mitsuru Kirijo would never do such a thing. She was too... mature. Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere.

"Junpei-san, you're right. Something strange is happening to Mitsuru," said Akihiko as he came down the stairs.

"What do you mean, senpai?" Aigis asked, curious. Akihiko sighed.

"She's been going to Tartarus alone the past couple of nights. Normally, she'd scold us for doing something so... stupid. I think all this has to do with Minato disappearing. The two have been together since before I even met Mitsuru. Him being gone has probably pushed her off the edge," Akihiko said.

Yukari raised an eyebrow. Minato wasn't dead or anything. It was like Aigis said a few days ago. Why would it make such a big difference?

"I doubt Kirijo-senpai's the type to go bat-shit insane because of one guy, Akihiko-san. There has to be something else going on," Junpei said, mirroring Yukari's thoughts.

"Remember when he disappeared for only a few days because he spent too long in Tartarus? Mitsuru was desperate and just... not herself. He's almost like her security blanket. Now he might be gone forever and she blames herself. She always blames herself. But don't worry, guys. she'll move past it. She has to. Just give her time. Try not to give her a hard time when she gets home. She's going through a lot right now," Akihiko said, slightly remembering his own feelings after Shinji left SEES. He felt as if... Maybe she wouldn't ever move past it.

Aigis dropped her manga to facepalm.

"I have a feeling that I may have just majorly screwed us over," She said under her breath. She looked at Yukari and mouthed, _'Speech'._

Yukari nodded and mouthed, _'Damn it.'_

Aigis couldn't help but agree.

* * *

**Later That Night**

* * *

Darkness covered the world before taking on a green hue. Life was sucked out of the room as an otherworldly presence filled the gap. The moon changed to a ghastly green as the world's vast waters turned to blood. A small, black-haired child appeared in the air above the bed in the dark room. She giggled softly as she descended upon the bed. Her Onee-chan was sound asleep. How peaceful. She crawled from her position at the foot of the bed to the pillow. She silently pulled the cover towards her and snuck into the bed, bringing the cover back towards her. She wrapped her arms around her Onee-chan.

It was so warm.

Who would have thought her Onee-chan was capable of such warmth?

She hugged her tightly.

Held her closely.

The little girl smiled.

Warm.

It was so strange.

It smelt like vanilla.

How bland.

She hugged her Onee-chan.

Her Onee-chan would probably die soon.

Dead. Death. Sleep.

She should warn her Onee-chan.

Vanilla.

What fun would that be?

Bland.

Would she really want to wake her Onee-chan?

Warm.

Blood was warm.

It was red.

Like her butterfly.

Red.

Blood. Red. Butterfly.

Warm.

Would her Onee-chan be warm if she didn't warn her?

Death.

She'd be dead.

Cold.

The little girl didn't like the cold.

Blood.

Sleep was Death's twin. Would she stop both?

Bland.

Maybe.

Warm.

Vanilla.

Strange.

"Onee-chan... wake up," She whispered in her Onee-chan's ear.

* * *

Aigis awoke to a soft whispering in her ear. She suddenly shot straight up and panned the room several times in a panic before her eyes focused on a little girl sitting at the foot of her bed. It was that same creepy little girl in the prisoner outfit. She smiled brightly.

"Onee-chan, one of your flowers is missing. It might have been stolen," The little girl said eerily. Aigis rubbed her tired eyes.

"It's you. Who are you? What are you? Why do you keep appearing in my room during the Dark Hour?" Aigis asked as quickly as she could, hoping to get answers before the girl disappeared again. She ignored the flower comment for that very reason. The girl giggled in response to all the questions.

"My, my, Onee-chan. You sure do ask a lot of questions. I'm here to warn you again. On the full moon, there will be a big battle. The coming battle will be very dangerous. If you don't get strong fast, then you'll die, Onee-chan. I don't want Onee-chan to die. Onee-chan is warm," The girl said in her normal, cheerful voice. Aigis noted how the girl avoided her questions almost entirely.

"Okay... Do you have a name? Is there something I can address you by?" Aigis said, hoping to get an answer this time. The girl smiled.

"Will you be my friend if I tell you?" The girl asked, almost hesitantly. Aigis grinned. Was that all she wanted?

"You don't need to make it into some sort of deal. If you want a friend, then I'll be your friend," Aigis said. The girl laughed.

"You don't know what you're getting into Onee-chan. You're funny," She trailed off as a small frown crossed her face, the first Aigis had seen during their entire meeting.

"You may call me... Metis," the girl said seriously.

_"Thou art I… And I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana."_

* * *

**Tartarus**

* * *

Black Ichor coated the walls of Tartarus once more. However, it was not Minato who had done the deed this time. The clicking of heels walking done the hallway indicated it was somebody else.

Flames gushed through the hallway, consuming the Shadows in its path. A singular figure walked down the halls.

Shadows died.

Again.

And again.

And again.

All were burned to ashes.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust."

A trigger was pulled, and more flames came forth.

"All shall burn. None shall escape me."

A flash of steel.

A severed head.

The Shadow dissipates.

"I'm the one who will kill all the Shadows. I'm the one who will save mankind from the Dark Hour. I need nobody else. So... I'll Execute you all!"

Mitsuru laughed as she used her new Persona. If a Persona was a reflection of the mask that a person used to protect his or her self, then it was only natural hers would change. After all, Mitsuru Kirijo was no longer the same. She didn't need a mask of ice. She needed something more vicious, more passionate.

It was only natural.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, Mitsuru kind of broke. Whoops. What did you expect? That she'd be all sad and depressed forever? Because Minato was there, she had a better childhood, but it also resulted in her not becoming a full 'Ice Queen'. Time spent studying and reading was instead spent watching anime. Time spent being alone was replaced with having fun. The maturity that she obtained from it all simply isn't there in this fic and now it's showing. Labrys is... well... I'm getting the feeling that she's becoming Yandere and Mitsuru is Tsundere. Weird. Anyhow, we got a real Aigis-centric chapter here and also... I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL! YEAH! Now you guys can go tell your friends you're reading a story written by an adult college-student.

As for Mitsuru changing Personae... Well, it isn't technically impossible. If we follow Igor's words that a Persona is a manifestation of your Persona that you wear in front of others, then it would of course change if you went through something dramatic that changed your outer face severely. As I recall, the only time something dramatic like that happened to a SEES member, their Persona changed into their upper tier Persona. Think of Mitsuru's change as a step in the opposite direction as a member who becomes resolved.

Also, sorry for the delay, peeps. And for the slightly shorter chapter. It really felt like a transition chapter. It's hard for me to write a lot without Minato. And I'm not really feeling an Omake write now. I could write a crap one, but who would want that? Hope you guys liked the chapter, by the way. If not...

Next chapter should have more Minato and stuff. Probably start an Arcana Shadow. Can't think of anything else to say other than thanks to everyone of you who is out there supporting me. I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

Now I need to put in more Akihiko. Who doesn't love the boxer dude?

As for review replies... Man, it was easy when I only got two of three reviews per a chapter... I'll do a couple. I read all your reviews, but replying to them at the end of the chapter is a horse of another color.

**REVIEW REPLY TIME!:**

**To all those who guessed the mysterious people: **They aren't from P4, they aren't previous protagonists, and they aren't OCs. Nobody will ever guess both.

**kagewolf: **Thank you. Truly.

**cj1of4:** He's questioning if they even were his goals and dreams in the first place. And he hasn't even done anything 'Dark' yet. So far, he's just hanging out with the wrong crowd and nothing more

**Zeromaru Chaos Mode:** His only redeeming quality? Well...

**Ai-no-Tsubasa:** Mitsuru's not that honest ;) Nice to know my story's like a drug too ;D

**HellPwnage1337: **They match Strega's personalities, not Personae (which are forced by the way).

**SKYS: YES! YOU GET A MEDAL!**

**SoulBlack: **Feel free to foreshadow Chidori's inclusion ;) I'm still on the fence about that, however, as I don't want to piss off JunepixChidori fans (and I myself like the pairing as well).

Now I need to write the next chapter for AGM...

**Question of the Chapter:** What is Mitsuru's new Persona? I know, but can you guess? (Completely unfair question)

**REVIEW, FAVORITE, FOLLOW! **Pretty please with Metis on top?


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